Lady of the Wall
by nessapasimio9
Summary: "...At least I was fighting for something back then. Nothing matters anymore." "You could still be fighting for something now." Jaime told her. "Like what?" "Your life." -A bastard girl raised at Castle Black is desperate to find out who her parents are. How will this affect her, and all those around her?
1. Chapter 2

_**Lady of the Wall**_

"Get the damned thing out of my sight!"

"But, my king, do you not want to see your daughter?"

"I have a daughter already…and a son! I need not see another child."

The lowly maid looked down at the small, newborn baby. Not even 2 days old yet, and the poor child had nowhere to go, for her mother had died during labor. She looked up at the king with the sleeping infant in her arms.

"But what shall I do with her?" She whimpered quietly.

"She is a bastard child! Why should I care…" He bellowed down at her. Things were complicated enough; the great king did not need the struggles of a bastard child he conceived with a whore. With the woman dead, it would be easy to cover up his affair from his real wife; who only a year earlier gave birth to his other daughter, but now with this child, everyone would know. The petite maid still knelt before him, holding his daughter close. With a calming sigh he spoke to her,

"Take her away. Get her out of the kingdom, no one must know of this."

"Yes, your grace." The maid replied quietly. She stood up to leave, but paused and said,

"Would you name your child, your grace?"

The king thought for a moment. Why should he name her? After all, he wasn't even claiming the child as his own.

"I shall keep her first name with my own lineage…she is one of mine after all..."

The king thought a moment longer, thinking to find a suiting title.

"Dimeria. Yes, that will do. Now take her away from here." He ordered the maid.

She turned without another word taking the peacefully sleeping child with her. She walked into the night, swiftly and silently. She kept reminding herself of her quest.

No one must know.

She found a merchant traveling through the night and paid him what little she had to take her to the next town. Where would she take Dimeria? She couldn't just pawn her off to any family; she didn't want to do that to such an innocent life. The next day she traveled even further. Still, the thought swam through her mind.

_No one must know._

Doing all she could, she cared for Dimeria, bastard daughter of the king. She would have given her life for her and she almost thought she would have to, when a man found her outside of a pub as she was holding the infant and begging for food.

"What brought you to such a low state, my lady?" The middle-aged man asked. He had kind eyes, noble and wise. Tears gathered in the young maid's eyes, as she recalled her journey to keep baby Dimeria safe.

"Please, kind sir. Will you please help me? I cannot keep caring for her; I have no provisions! Please take her and raise her." She begged of him.

"Woman, I am a guard from the Night's Watch. I have come to recruit convicts to The Wall. I cannot care for your infant."

"No, you don't understand! She is not mine, I was told to take her away…none must know of her where I come from. But I can no longer watch over her, I have given all of my life for this child…but I have nothing left!"

"Quiet, quiet my lady!" The man sighed in frustration. He gazed at the woman and the child. Something inside him, a whispering voice in his mind, told him to assist the woman and child. Without help, both would soon die. He grabbed a small purse filled with gold coins and bent near the maid.

"Take this, and go back to your home. I will take the child."

Gratitude flooded her heart and she began crying joyous praises for the kind man. She handed Dimeria over to him and kissed her on the forehead. Before she left though, the guard stopped her and said:

"If I am to take this child, you must tell me where she is from; who is she?"

The thought passed through her mind once more.

_No one must know._

But she had no other choice. With a deep breath she spoke to the man,

"Her name is Dimeria. She was born in King's Landing." She paused, afraid to say the next words.

"She is the bastard daughter of King Aerys Targaryen."

* * *

"My lord, this is dangerous…we cannot keep a baby at the wall!"

The guard was traveling back with a small caravan of convicts back to The Wall. His partner, Jeor Mormont, was becoming ever so restless at the sight of the babe in his commanders arms. The journey back to the wall was long and taxing on their own, Jeor was less than satisfied at the prospect of having to keep someone else alive. His commander was adamant, though. They would keep Dimeria alive and that was the end of the discussion. Still, Jeor tried one last time to persuade him to abandon the child.

"Jeor, as I have said before, she is coming with us."

"Fine. Then can you tell me why?" Jeor asked solemnly.

The commander inhaled deeply. The fear in the young maid's eyes as she told him her secret came back to him. The poor child, currently sleeping in his arms had no idea how much trouble she had stirred up just from being brought into the world. Horrible things would certainly happen if the people were to discover whom she belonged to, who she really was in birthright.

"Sir?"

Jeor interrupted the commander's thoughts. He decided to put it as simply as he could.

"I am Aemon Targaryen, I have the right to raise this child…for she is my niece."

The words almost seemed foreign to poor Jeor. "Niece? But how?"

"My dear Jeor! You are young, but not that young. I expected you to already know how…" Aemon said to him. He shifted baby Dimeria in his arms as a hearty laugh escaped his lips. A warm flush found its way onto Jeor's cheeks as his commander continued laughing at his expense.

"I know **how** it happened, my lord." Jeor said through gritted teeth. "But why? Why are you caring for her? Is it not your brother's job to parent his own children?"

"You ask too many questions, Jeor." Aemon said, suddenly silencing his snickering.

"Maybe I wouldn't have to if you answered some of them for me." Jeor muttered more to himself than to Aemon. Stifling a perturbed sigh, Aemon decided to tell Jeor a slight truth. He could trust him, he knew he could; and besides, Jeor would be next in command some day, there were things he would have to be informed about.

"I suppose the correct term for Dimeria would be that she's my bastard niece." Aemon quickly glanced at Jeor to see his reaction, for he made the comment rather nonchalantly, just to get a genuine response out of him. Things suddenly clicked into place for Jeor then, like the stars were finally in perfect alignment. The pieces of his mind finally fit into their proper places and he widened his eyes in amazement. Now he knew. The poor child would be subject to abuse, poverty, and ridicule if people knew who she was. Even if the king decided to keep the girl as a ward, she would never lead happy life. One could only imagine how the stepmother would react to the product of her husband's infidelity, no one would want that for a child.

"But my lord, The Night's Watch? Her life will be as much forfeit there as it is in King's Landing."

"No. We will raise her so that she is accustomed to it. She will no nothing of the outside world, and they will know nothing of her…until it is safe at least."

"We?!" Jeor gawked at his sudden inclusion in the plan.

"I'm afraid so. I am not getting any younger, Jeor. You will soon be Lord Commander of The Wall and I will need your assistance with this little one. If she is to survive the harsh cold of the north and all that goes with it, we will need to raise her to be real northerner; a real wolf. She shall be a warrior no less than any of the ones we already have, and you are going to help with achieving that."

Aemon said with finality, that not even the boisterous Jeor could argue with. If he had learned anything at The Wall, it was to follow orders when they were given; and that was what he was going to do. He looked at Dimeria and shifted uncomfortably on his horse. Aemon noticed and quickly consoled him.

"It will not be so hard. I may call you young, but you are not, and I know that. You will do well as Lord Commander one day."

Jeor smiled at the sincere comment and felt some of his tension melt away. He would do what was right and look after Dimeria. After all, how difficult could it really be?


	2. Chapter 3

The child proved to be more of a challenge than anyone thought…but also a blessing. Dimeria was rowdy and full of childlike spirit. As a toddler, she spent her days running all over the place: up ramps, down stairs, and all around the towers and halls. The men's first reaction to her was disbelief and possibly some annoyance, but the innocence and happiness grew on the battle-hardened men and they soon grew accustomed to her. Gleeful squeals and high-pitched laughter became a normal sound on The Wall and the men often joined in; of course, their laughter was deeper and they seldom squealed. All the while, Aemon and Jeor looked on with caution and concern. None of the guards knew who Dimeria really was, but the fear had permanently settled in their minds. It was not necessary though; anyone who looked upon the young girl would never have suspected she was truly a Targaryen. Dark hair had sprouted all over her head and lay thick upon her shoulders. She had icy blue eyes, wide and full of wonder. The only thing that caused anyone to question her origins was a thick strand of stark white running through her black hair. Through her growing stages, she had brought life back to The Wall, which was usually known for the exact opposite.

Her adolescent years were no different, except that she had grown developed an attitude. She was sarcastic and rough, just as the men were and her words had a painful sting when she wanted them to. When she was 14 years, Aemon and Jeor decided it was time to start her on fighting lessons.

"Your sword is an extension of your arm, Dimeria. Be graceful and quick, while staying firm and strong." Jeor reminded her constantly.

"Those things are the exact opposite from each other!" She complained as she struggled to pick up the heavy weapon with just one hand.

Jeor sighed angrily as the defiant girl refused to listen to him. "Use **one** hand!" He said to her.

"I'll never be able to lift the damned thing!" She screamed. She threw it to the ground as hard as she could and stomped away, only to be stopped by Aemon.

"Patience, young one." He said putting a calming hand on her shoulder. "You will never get better if you do not try." He strode past her and picked up the sword while stepping towards Jeor.

"Perhaps this **is **too heavy for her, Jeor."

"Then what do you suggest, Lord Commander?" Jeor asked trying to stifle his mounting frustration. He cared for Dimeria dearly, but she was much to handle sometimes.

"Start her off with a wooden training sword…teach her the basics. When she gets stronger, then she can use a real sword. Perhaps even throw in a bow and arrow…" He said smiling to himself.

"A wooden sword? That's not going to do any damage! Why don't I just grab a stick and…" Dimeria started in

"Dimeria!" Aemon snapped at her. "The first thing **you** must learn is discipline. I will not stand for your brash comments and complaints. You either straighten up, or learn nothing!"

His scolding quieted her immediately. She nodded almost imperceptibly and hung her head down, allowing her dark locks to cover her face.

"Go. You will start tomorrow." Aemon said with a softer voice.

She turned and walked out of the weapons shed and up into her quarters. Back down in the shed, Aemon and Jeor still stood reordering the swords.

"I never expected her to be this much trouble." Jeor said to Aemon.

"She definitely has Targaryen blood within her, which is fortunate just as much as it is bad. But she will learn." Aemon said with a sigh.

And she did. The next day, Jeor began teaching Dimeria the basics of sword fighting. Quick on your feet, make fast and precise movements, and keep your core tight.

"Never leave yourself open for your enemy to strike you down," Jeor warned Dimeria, "A seasoned fighter will take advantage of any opportunity he sees."

Dimeria found a passion in fighting. Her muscles toned and with her small figure, she was able to move quicker than all the other guards present. Through her lessons she was taught discipline, patience, and most importantly: battle smarts. She was more focused now; she no longer had the attention span of an insect, although she did still have a temper quicker than a wolf hunting down its prey.

Her teen years were spent physically adapting her to the demands of Night Watch. She quickly evolved into one of the most skilled fighters there. Being gifted in both sword fighting and with a bow and arrow, Dimeria had the confidence of a true warrior. She walked with her back straight, her jaw firm, and her head held high. She no longer let her hair run wild about her back, but she braided it; weaving the dark strands and the one white strand in and out of each other. She became the mature woman that Aemon and Jeor knew she could be and they looked upon her with pride. There were times when she was put in danger, even in the comfort of what was her home. Aemon and Jeor had seen it coming though; men of the Night's Watch were still men, and with someone like Dimeria walking around, they were obviously going to have their temptations. But with her impressive fighting skills and the protection of the 2 highest ranking officials in Castle Black, Dimeria was allowed to live her life unscathed.

The years were passing quickly; Aemon and Jeor still remembered the day that they had taken Dimeria in as if it were yesterday. And just as Dimeria was growing up, Aemon was also growing older. He found he could no longer meet the requirements of being Lord Commander. On the day of Dimeria's 17th year, Aemon could no longer see. It was on this day that he stepped down and gave the position to Jeor. During Dimeria's celebration, Aemon pulled Jeor aside and explained to him the situation.

"It's your time to step up and become Lord Commander of The Wall, Jeor."

"Are you sure?" Jeor asked tentatively. It was a big role to fill and he wasn't quite certain he was ready for it.

"Absolutely. My eye sight is going; it's time for a newer, younger replacement." Aemon said with a smile.

"I will do my best, sir." He said trying to sound confident. He glanced over at Dimeria and couldn't help but feel a sliver of fear slither up his spine. Should he tell someone else about her origins to assist in trying to keep her safe?

"What of Dimeria?" He asked Aemon gesturing in her direction.

"What about her? She shall stay here at the Nightwatch, no one will know."

"Certainly someday she will have questions. Every bastard child does." Jeor responded worriedly.

"She already knows she is a bastard…abandoned by her parents. What more information could she desire?"

Aemon's first speculation was correct. Dimeria was was content and had accepted fairly early that she would most likely never meet her parents; that she was a bastard child. But as she walked away from the other guards of The Wall to refill her mug of ale, she overheard the heated debate over the topic of her origin. Listening in quietly, she heard this:

"If she ever questions us about her birth, we will have no choice but to tell her." Jeor said to Aemon.

"It is too dangerous, Jeor." Aemon said.

_Dangerous?_ Dimeria thought to herself.

"We cannot speak of this…to anyone. If her curiosity is not sparked, she will not go asking questions." Aemon finished saying to Jeor.

Unknowingly, they had sparked her interest. The complete mindset that her life was simple and happy began melting away. What other secrets were they keeping from her? Her entire life, these 2 men had kept up a façade to hide something. Could this mean her entire life was a lie? Heat flooded her cheeks from the growing anger in the pits of her stomach. Burning tears flooded her eyes and her breathing came in quick, but quiet rasps. She no longer felt the constant bite of cold in the north, but the smoldering sultriness radiating from her outrage. But she kept it to herself. She briskly walked out into the frosty night and walked away until she could go no further. Should she just leave The Night's Watch and never return?

No.

That would be stupid and irresponsible; she could never make it out there on her own. She knelt down with her knees in the snow and tried to calm her breathing. Her easy life was no longer so effortless and it killed her knowing that there was so much more than she realized. There was nothing she could do about it, though. Telling herself not to overthink things, she tried to convince herself that Aemon and Jeor would tell her everything when the time was right. But how long would she have to wait?

Weeks, months, and finally years went by and nothing was ever said. She kept everything to herself though, carrying it like match that she could light at any moment and burn everything to ashes. That day she learned not to so easily trust everyone she met. She distanced herself from those around her, making her outer shell even tougher. Those she didn't have faith in, were kept further than arm's length. The men noticed, but didn't know what to make of it. From that day on, Dimeria became colder. But she had a flame within her, a small flame that could still burn like a beacon in the night, one that could burn anyone she directed her malice at.


	3. Chapter 4

"Don't be a fool, Benjen, they are myths and nothing more. That deserter was just trying to save himself."

Dimeria snapped as she organized the archery range. She had never seen so many inexperienced new recruits. It made her job harder than it already was since she was the only female at The Wall. She had just entered into her 21st year and was more beautiful than ever. Her striking blue eyes were framed perfectly by her high cheekbones and her dark hair seemed to make them sparkle brighter than the stars. Her dark locks were longer now and that white strand of hair continued to draw curious gazes her way, but she had learned to ignore the stares a long time ago. There were only a few men she bothered to acknowledge, mainly because they were the only ones that didn't lust after her. Benjen being one of these few, they continued their debate.

"Dimeria, he may be a traitor, but there was fear in his eyes. No man can fake that terror. Now I am not saying his tale is true, but I do believe he saw something out there; something that we cannot ignore."

He stepped in front of her, forcing her to look at his face. She sighed reluctantly and set the quiver of arrows she had gathered to the ground.

"What is it you think he saw?" She asked tiredly. She didn't have time for this nonsense, in her mind; the traitor should just be taken from The Wall and be executed. Let that be the end.

"Who knows? We would have to go out there ourselves to be sure." Benjen said.

Dimeria raised her brow at the tone of his voice. It was full of curiosity and determination.

"You mean to go investigate?" She asked him.

"It is the only way to be certain. Whatever he saw out there scared him witless. It could be anything and it could be nothing, but either way, we cannot take any chances."

"He is right."

A deep voice sounded behind them, making them turn quickly. Lord Commander Jeor was walking up to them. The years had taken their toll ever since he became Lord Commander. His hair had whitened, resembling the streak in Dimeria's mane. His girth had widened substantially now, not only making him a large man in height, but also in width.

"But Lord Commander, you don't really think that…that the—" Dimeria stuttered of her words, not able to bring herself to say them.

"The White Walkers? Well, I will not know what to think until someone goes to investigate, will I?" He said with a demeaning smile towards Dimeria.

Annoyance flooded her mind and she narrowed her eyes at Jeor.

"Why don't you just go investigate yourself?" She said as she kicked over the quiver of arrows and stomped away from Benjen and Jeor.

Loose strands from her braid blew wildly in the wind and her cloak flapped behind her, Benjen and Jeor could only stand and watch as she walked away.

"I remember the days she was just a child here…that smile never left her face. The world 'smile' is hardly even in her vocabulary now." Benjen said with a sigh.

"Yes, time has definitely changed her. Only time will tell how much more she'll change." Jeor said morosely. The two of them finished straightening up the archery range and returned to their quarters for the night. They both reflected on how much they missed the energetic presence she gave off to everyone, the beautiful innocence she possessed; now she seemed as hard and grim as the other men of the Night Watch. What had made her this way? They wondered. It seemed to just happen out of nowhere, like a hawk swooping down on its prey: completely unexpected.

From Dimeria's perspective though, she had every right to be mad. The young warrior kept to herself most of the time, using her stern visage to keep others away. After she had snapped at Jeor, Dimeria headed for the dining hall to grab a meal before she retired for the night. Plenty of the men were in there having as much of a party as you could have at The Wall; which usually meant they ended up drunk, disgusting, and more obnoxious than usual. She tried to grab her food as quickly as possible and avoid being seen, but being the only woman there, it was hard to miss her. She somehow managed it though and sat in the back of the hall where there were less people.

"He's being taken to Winterfell, I heard! To be executed there!" A large man laughed heartily. Beer sloshed in his mug onto his already filthy shirt, but he hardly seemed to notice. Dimeria sighed in irritation. Talk of this idiotic deserter would take days, possibly weeks, to finally die down.

"Heard Benjen was droppin' him off then pickin' up new recruits!" Another man said.

The large man with a dirty shirt replied to him saying:

"Sorry lots, they won't know what's comin' to 'em when they get 'ere!" He said loudly.

"Ya can't leave, it's cold 'nough to freeze your piss, and no WOMEN." He said the last one with such emphasis as if it were the worst thing that could have ever happened to him.

_Can't imagine you had that many women to begin with… _Dimeria thought to herself.

The man's comment brought many laughs and even more heartfelt groans from those who felt the same way. Dimeria shook her head in disgust, but she forgot the remark almost as quickly as it was made. She had been around brutish men her entire life; they couldn't do much to surprise her anymore.

"Oy! We do have one woman, that Dimeria girl! What I would do to get her in my bed!"

Dimeria didn't spot the voice from which statement came, but she immediately felt herself blush. She had always been aware that the men looked at her just because she was the only woman there, but she had never heard them speak of her this way. The thought of sleeping with any of these men made her sick to the stomach.

The man resembling a fat boar spoke once more,

"Aye! You're not the first man to wish that and ya certainly won't be the last!"

"How many d'ya think she's been with?" A weasel-like man asked excitedly. Dimeria felt her food start to make its way back up.

"Probably lost count!" The fat man responded, "She could have any of us if she wanted and none of us would complain!"

And that did it for her. She stood abruptly and charged beer-bellied man with a dagger. Her blue eyes seemed to have a blazing fire behind them as she pushed him against the wall, not bothering to hide any of her rage. With her knife to his throat he began whimpering pathetically.

"Make one more comment on my behalf," she threatened him and with another dagger from her boot, she held it to his groin saying, "and I will make sure you never say another word, or feel another urge."

He nodded tensely and she backed away from him. Turning to the other men she said,

"And that goes for the rest of you!"

Without another word, she stepped out of the dining hall and into the night with her eyes blazing.

* * *

The next morning Benjen left with a small caravan for Winterfell, for his brother and his family ruled there. Without his presence, it was up to Dimeria to train the most recent recruits to be ready to be on actual duty. Most of the men were already cautious of her when she was armed, but after last night's event, they seemed hesitant just to see her at all. Their obvious panic gave Dimeria a sense of satisfaction and she actually wore a slight smirk that day. Her jovial laugh even returned when the overweight man she held her daggers to saw her. It was a little after midday when they crossed paths. Hoping to elicit a response from him, she placed her hand on the small dagger at her belt and made clear eye contact with him.

The man scrambled away as fast as his stout legs could carry him, only to run smack into a wooden beam.

Laughter escaped her throat at the comical sight and she doubled over while clenching her stomach. Other men joined in with her joy and began pointing and laughing at the man currently lying in the snow. Jeor witnessed this event and felt a glimmer of hope shine within him. Perhaps Dimeria wasn't as unfeeling as he thought she had grown to be…

But the rest of the week had proved him wrong. She fell back into her machine-like habits: Train, eat, train some more, and sometimes go up to The Wall for her scheduled watch time. It wasn't until the new recruits got there that things finally started changing for Dimeria.

The gates to Castle Black opened and allowed the return of Benjen and several new recruits, one of them being his nephew, Jon Snow. Another surprising guest had come along with them, Tyrion Lannister. Dimeria looked at the caravan with interest and curiosity as she saw the impish lord look upon The Wall. Unexpectedly, Tyrion seemed to look upon the structure with admiration, while the new recruits looked at it with fear. Beginning to lose interest, Dimeria turned to walk away when the dwarf spoke to her back.

"You don't look like a man." He said.

Turning to him with raised eyebrows, she said, "Obviously, I am not a man."

Tyrion paused then, taking the young woman in. He first noticed how beautiful she was; only a fool would disregard that. Her brilliant blue eyes entranced him and he began wondering what an alluring girl would be doing at the Night's Watch.

"Are you the bastard daughter that Aemon Targaryen…" He stopped abruptly as soon as he laid eyes upon the white streak in her hair. There were few people in all the realms that possessed ivory hair such as that, and they were not welcome in the kingdom.

"Yes, Aemon Targaryen found me as a babe and took me in." Dimeria finished for him. The dwarf had not stopped staring at the stark white strip in her hair and she subconsciously drew her hand up to place it behind her ear.

Noticing the movement, he broke his staring and replaced his curious gaze with a smirk.

"Well, you are a lucky one, aren't you? Not many bastards are quite as fortunate as you." He said to her. "Coincidentally enough, we have another bastard among us who has been just as blessed as you." Lord Tyrion stepped back then and gestured to Benjen's nephew who had been listening to the conversation with interest.

Dimeria looked the young man up and down.

"It is not uncommon to have bastards at The Wall." She said looking back at Tyrion.

"Maybe not, but to have such attractive bastards…now that's something impressive." He said teasing the two of them.

Dimeria glanced back at Jon only to see him cast his eyes down to the ground in what seemed to be embarrassment.

"Why are you here, dwarf?" Dimeria asked him rudely.

Tyrion raised his eyes in surprises and also amusement.

"First of all, my name is Tyrion Lannister and I expect to be addressed by my proper title."

Dimeria stifled a sigh at her stupidity and pride. A Lannister. Nothing was worse than getting on the wrong side of a Lannister and Dimeria had basically thrown herself off a cliff into Tyrion's bad side. The imp seemed not to care though; he almost seemed entertained at her sarcasm.

"Secondly," he continued, "The Wall is quite a sight to see. While many people pity the guards here, I hold them in the highest respect. And I also would quite enjoy pissing off the top of the wall." He said with a smile.

And although she hated it, the small man brought a grin to her face. With a laugh Tyrion, Benjen, and the other recruits passed by her further into the headquarters. She watched them go by and unexpectedly made eye contact once more with Tyrion. He gave her a slight wink and passed with a slight hop to his step. She went the opposite direction not noticing Jon Snow's eyes on her the whole time.


	4. Chapter 5

The dining hall was filled with the testosterone of the new recruits as they got acquainted with their new comrades. The men she had threatened almost two weeks ago were absent that night. Dimeria smiled inwardly as she thought of the fear she had instilled in them that night.

Not particularly concerned with the obnoxious behavior of the men this night, she didn't bother trying to distance herself from them. There were many of them in there that night, so she removed her cloak from her back and shoulders, for she felt the radiating warmth from the many bodies. She never particularly felt cold anyway, she never knew why; she just assumed that she had grown accustomed to it over the years.

"Aye lass, ye must be cold there without ye're cloak." One of the new guards sat down on her left, scooting rather close to her. She glared at him from the side, but didn't bother to actually lift her head from her meal.

The guard continued, "Why don't ye come back to my quarters…I bet I could warm ya up." He said with a mischievous grin. He reached out to grab the lock of white hair that had drifted over her face. Holding her breath, she tensed her muscles as he ran the white lock through his fingers.

Scooting away from him, she said, "I don't think so."

A small crowd had gathered around them; some of them more of the new men, and others the veterans of The Wall, not bothering to warn the man of Dimeria's wrath.

Taking pleasure from the mounting attention, the man refused to take 'no' for an answer.

"Okay then, lemme try again. Name's Mereas. How 'bout you tell me your name…then we can head up to my room."

"I said, no." Dimeria said finally caring enough to look up at him. He wasn't the most hideous man she had ever seen, but he definitely was not anyone to give a second glance to.

"Oh, come on now, girl." Mereas said reaching for her shoulder. "Surely they didn't bring you here to just stand around. How 'bout I take you with me and I'll put you to some real work…somethin' that'll benefit the both of us."

Dimeria reached down with her right hand to grab the hidden dagger in her boot, but immediately clenched her fist and scolded herself as she realized she had left it in her room. Instead, she slapped his hand away and gave a cold glare hoping that alone would be enough to make him stop; she did not feel up to fighting another foolish man tonight.

But Mereas proved to be persistent, for once again, he reached out to grab Dimeria; but this time in a much more intimate spot. Although she didn't have her dagger, she snatched up the knife given with her meal. It was dull, but if she applied enough force (which she could), it would do enough damage. Pushing his outstretched and wandering hand onto the table, she drove the handle of the knife into the top of his hand and immediately broke a bone. The man screamed in pain and clutched at his injured hand and glowered at Dimeria.

The crowd gathered around had grown considerably and they were now cheering and laughing at how foolish Mereas had been. He was not giving up, though. A growl escaped his mouth and he lurched forward at Dimeria who had already diverted her attention back to her dinner. Before he could even lay his good hand on her, someone else had grabbed his cowl and yanked him backwards onto the floor. Mereas painfully stood back up to see the face of Jon Snow glaring down at him.

"How many times does she have to tell you, 'no'?" Jon asked him.

Dimeria had since then stood up from the table and was looking over Jon's shoulder.

"Leave her alone, or perhaps we'll both have a go at your other hand." Jon threatened him.

Without another word, Mereas left the hall in a rush.

"Oh, a dinner and a show! I must say, that was much more entertaining than the ones at King's Landing!" A familiar, sarcastic voice filled the room and they all turned to see a smirking Tyrion standing on one of the tables.

As the crowd dispersed, Dimeria sat once more at her dinner, though she seemed to have lost her appetite. Jon Snow replaced the spot to her left and Tyrion took a place across from her.

"I must say, you are quite gifted with a blade; even when you don't use the pointy end!" Tyrion said with a laugh.

Dimeria offered a small smirk in response and continued to push the food around on her plate. It was then that Jon picked up her cloak and offered it to her.

"Here, you must be cold." He said kindly.

She pushed it away. "I'm not…"

Jon furrowed his eyebrows in confusion at her cold response. "I just saved you from that man-"

"Actually boy, I don't think she needed saving at all." Lord Tyrion interrupted.

"I had it sorted." She said curtly to Jon.

"I was only trying to help." He murmured quietly. Dimeria sighed at his hurt feelings, but said nothing to console him.

"Well this is awkward." Tyrion said, "I thought bastards were supposed to have some sort of special bond with each other."

Neither of them offered any response to him except for harsh glares.

"If you two aren't going to talk, I suppose I'll start the conversation. Dimeria, where on earth did that white streak come from?" Tyrion asked bluntly.

Taken aback from the upfront question, it took her a moment to reply.

"How should I know?" She said

"You don't know who your parents are?" Jon asked her curiously.

"Do you?!" She snapped at him.

"My mother, no. But my father and his wife raised me as one of their own in Winterfell. More so my father, but still…" Jon said calmly.

Dimeria sighed again saying, "No, I do not know my parents. I do not know where my white strand of hair came from." She said turning to both Jon and Tyrion.

The inquiries of her origins had stirred up the same hateful emotions she felt the same day she overheard the conversation between Jeor and Aemon. She still had found out nothing more of her parents and she hated that the two of them were still keeping secrets from her. The thought of it put her in a sour mood and she finally just pushed away her plate of food.

"You know, I have only seen one other family with hair such as that streak." Tyrion said. "The Targaryen's have always had white hair running in their family."

Dimeria scoffed at the remark, "Me, a Targaryen? No. Just because Aemon happens to be one means nothing. People hardly even remember he is from that bloodline. He keeps mainly to himself now that he is blind." She shook her head incredulously, "Besides, they are from the south. I have been in the north my entire life."

"Ah, but you just said you know nothing of your parents. Perhaps they were from the south and you just don't know it."

And with that Lord Tyrion bid them good night and left the dining hall. The suggestion left a strange feeling in her stomach and she wasn't sure what to make of it. She looked over to Jon who was still sitting beside her, quietly.

"I apologize for my rudeness. It is not everyday I am questioned about my parents." She said to him.

"Think nothing of it. I understand the frustrations that go along with being a bastard child."

His somber tone of voice drew a pitying emotion from Dimeria and she suddenly felt inclined to keep speaking with Jon.

"Do you know anything of your mother? Or did your father never speak of her?" She asked trying to make conversation.

"He never spoke of her; he couldn't with his wife. She never took a liking to me since I was an obvious sign of her husband's betrayal. She never considered me part of the family."

"How many are you?"

"The oldest brother is Robbert. Then Sansa, she is a few years younger than I. Then Arya, she's barely into her first decade. Bran, and then Rickon is the youngest. There is also one ward, Theon from House Greyjoy."

"Sounds like quite a bunch." Dimeria said with a kind smile.

A flash of pain crossed Jon's eyes then as he remembered his family that had taken him in. Although Lady Stark had never liked him, the rest of the family treated him like a true blood brother. Dimeria felt sorry for him then. She had never considered that the men that came to The Wall were leaving families behind; she only ever thought of them as convicts and criminals. This one though, he was simply a volunteer trying to find his place in the world. He would mostly likely never see his family again, and if he did; it would be many years from now.

Dimeria had never known the feeling of family. She had briefly before she felt the heartbreaking betrayal of Jeor and Aemon; but she had never had to withstand the painful loss of family. What would her life be like if she had known her parents, even if only for a little while? Would she have runaway from the Night's Watch many years ago?

She would never know, but the presence of Jon Snow and the love he had for his family sprouted new feelings within her that she had never felt before. Could the love of a family be that strong? She asked herself. Could love from anyone be that strong? The affection that Jon showed evoked jealousy within her, also. She suddenly had a strong desire to know her parents, to know why they hadn't kept her. A whirring swirl of emotions engulfed her mind: shame, anger, and sadness. _Why?_

She kept asking herself. What was wrong with her? The sense of incompletion she first felt on that day many years swallowed her whole. Her breathing came quickly and her head felt numb. A tingling in her hands had begun as she felt shame and anger course throughout her entire body.

"Dimeria?"

She snapped out of her deep pool of emotions to look into the concerned face of Jon.

"I'm sorry, I just…" She said struggling for words, "it's just, I never knew my parents. I wish I had the opportunity to do so." She finished with a tear travelling down her cheek.

Jon placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, the first man to ever do so without getting injured.

"You may be able to, someday. But you should be happy for your fortune. Your Lord Commander cared for you enough to save you, not many are so lucky."

"I'm not sure luck had anything to do with it." Dimeria said miserably.

"What do you mean?"

Dimeria inhaled deeply. She shouldn't have said anything.

"It's nothing." She told him.

Jon left it at that, he could tell it was a personal matter; one that he could not force her to talk about. He once again placed his hand on her shoulder and gave her a kind smile. Much to his surprise, she offered one back. It was a beautiful smile, one that reached her deep blue eyes and made them sparkle. He walked out of the dining hall no longer feeling threatened by the fierce fighter. He had to admit to himself that he was rather wary of her after all the stories the other men had told of Dimeria, but after a slightly rocky start, she seemed accept him more than she accepted the others.

Jon laughed to himself then. Perhaps Lord Tyrion was correct.

Maybe bastards do have a special bond.

* * *

_**Hi everyone! Hope you're enjoying the story so far. I apologize for it starting off a bit slow, I really want to establish Dimeria's character and who she is. I promise I'll be trying to pick it up soon! Remember to leave reviews, I enjoy hearing from you and it's much appreciated, thanks!**_


	5. Chapter 6

It seemed as though bastards did have a special bond. For the first time ever, Dimeria seemed to have an actual friend. The men thought it an odd relationship, for most of the time it started with Dimeria and Jon training fiercely as if they meant to murder each other, but ended with happy slaps on the back. Even Tyrion Lannister noticed their budding relationship and even took credit for introducing them. They were fond of each other; she especially appreciated him for the sense of honor he had; a trait rarely found in the men that were recruited to the Night's Watch. As she trained the other recruits, he would often join in, for he was quite experienced in sword fighting.

"I leave tomorrow to go beyond The Wall." Benjen said to his nephew and Dimeria after a day of training.

"For how long?" Dimeria asked him.

"However long it takes." Benjen looked to his nephew who looked rather concerned.

"Do not be so distraught, Jon." Benjen said with a smile.

"Can I not go with you? I've more experience than most here with a sword." Jon asked.

"You have not yet taken your oath, nephew. Besides, Stark's have been present on the wall for centuries, it would not be right for us both to leave."

"You and I both know I am not a Stark." Jon said sadly.

"You're as good as one. You might as well be." Benjen said with a comforting hand to his shoulder. With that, he walked away. Jon closed his eyes delving deep into his thoughts and forgetting that Dimeria was still standing there. She, too, placed a sympathetic hand on his shoulder before she took her leave.

Later that night as Benjen and other scouts prepared their things to depart in the morning, Dimeria sat on The Wall quietly as she waited for her night shift to end.

"Would you like me to grab you more wood for your fire?"

Dimeria turned to see Jon coming towards her. She shook her head and said, "No. The chill seems not to affect me so."

Jon took a seat across from her with the small fire in between them.

"You're a lucky one." He said. He placed his hands over the flames in attempt to warm them. She smiled at him then, still sensing that he was upset about his earlier conversation with Benjen.

"Do not fret about not being able to go with your uncle. You will soon be a scout just as him; much quicker than some of the other recruits here." She said with a smile. He met her gaze with kind eyes.

"Are you not to go with them?" He questioned her.

"No. Along with you, I have never taken the oath." She said looking out into the distance. He looked at her incredulously finding it hard to believe that the great fighter had never sworn in as a true guard of The Wall.

Again she smiled saying, "I have lived here my entire life. I've never seen anything of the outside world, so there was no reason for me to ever leave. The Wall is the only thing I have ever known."

"Lady of the Wall." He remarked. They grinned at each other, both seeming to like the title.

"Yes, I suppose so."

Silence fell with only the crackles of the small fire and the howling wind filling the space around them. Dimeria closed her eyes and let her mind wander. What was the outside world like? She heard rumors and tales of the of the events in Westeros, but The Wall was an isolated land; only the high ranking officials received accurate and daily reports of what was going on. Technically Dimeria was one of those officials, but she did not desire that position; she wanted only to do her job.

"What is the outside world like?" She asked Jon suddenly.

He took a moment before answering: "I have only lived in the north…Winterfell. Never have I been south. Things are stirring, though. What it is, I cannot say. Although I fear that my family may be in the middle of things."

"Why is that?"

"My father and sisters are being escorted to King's Landing." He paused not knowing if Dimeria knew of the land. She nodded her head signifying her knowledge of the place and he continued.

"The former hand of the king has passed on and my father is replacing him. Sansa is betrothed to Prince Joffrey, and Arya has been taken along to be instructed on how to be a 'proper lady', more or less."

"That does not seem so bad." She said to him.

"Maybe…but it could not have come at a worse time. Bran has suffered a serious injury and I still have no word on whether he has awoken or not. And there are also rumors that perhaps the former hand of the king was murdered." He trailed off letting Dimeria sort the rest out for herself.

"I see…"

Jon sighed. "My father says that winter is coming…coming fast." He said menacingly.

"It is always winter here." She said as if it should be a comfort to him. He laughed at her misunderstanding and she furrowed her eyebrows.

"What?" She asked.

"It is not only a prediction of the changing seasons, but also of the bad things that will be upon us."

Dimeria raised a brow and again looked out over The Wall. Winter had never seemed so bad to her, what bad things could come from it? She wondered. She looked back at Jon who now had a grim visage set upon his face. She reached out and grabbed his hand.

"I'm sure nothing bad will happen, to you or your family." He smiled at her kind words and began thinking about how lucky he was to have found a companion such as Dimeria. He did not fear life as a Night's Guard, but he never suspected it would as pleasant as it had been; he believed he owed much of that pleasantry to Dimeria. He squeezed her hand back as a thank you before releasing it.

They heard footsteps coming up to them and looked up. It was a large boy, no older than Jon or Dimeria.

"Ah, Samwell. I guess you have come to relieve me, then?" Dimeria asked him.

He nodded yes and proceeded to gesture behind him.

"Uh, Jon. Your wolf followed me up here and well…" He stopped as Jon's direwolf, Ghost, trotted up to him and joined him by the fire. Dimeria smiled. She liked Jon's pet, if that is what you could call it, and he seemed to like her back.

"Well, I'll be off then." Dimeria said and she bid them good night.

After she had gone, Samwell sat himself across from Jon.

"We take our oaths tomorrow." Samwell said nervously. Jon smiled, for he was more than ready to solidify his place at Castle Black. Not having the same confidence, Sam frowned at his reaction.

"What? Are you not excited?" Jon asked him.

"You and I both know I am not suited to be a warrior. It was not my choice to come here." Sam muttered.

"It will be okay. You have already made it this far, do not quit now."

Samwell nodded and was silent. Both he and Jon could not stop thinking about their coming initiation. Even as their heads hit their pillows, thoughts of the next day would not leave them until sleep finally claimed them.

* * *

That night, Dimeria had a strange dream. Fire surrounded her. Not a blazing, dangerous fire, but it was steady enough to make her feel uncomfortable, for she was used to cold bite of the north. The flames suddenly got out of control, almost like a living entity. The blazing whips lashed out at her, burning her trousers and searing her hair. She cried out in pain as she brought up her arm to block her face, but the flames would not relent; she was under constant attack. She curled up on her side trying to protect herself. They scorched her back, burning her cloak and the rest of her clothes.

She cried out in her sleep, as she thrashed and twisted in her bed. Blistering pain consumed her entire body and she feared the end was near. All of a sudden, a mighty gust of wind blew. It cooled her skin and caused the flames to rear back. The great force seemed to pick her up and she felt as if she was gliding on nothing. The cool rush of the breeze blew back her hair and nipped at her face; she felt like she was flying.

Dimeria sat up in her bed, drenched in a cold sweat. Her breath came in short, heavy rasps and her heart was racing. It was early in the morning; the sun had just begun to rise. Dimeria rose and put on her clothes and finally wrapped her cloak around her before she left. She roamed the halls of Castle Black, not expecting to see anyone; so running into Lord Tyrion startled her out of her wits.

"Lord Tyrion! I apologize, I did not expect to see anyone this early." She said to the little lord.

"Think nothing of it. I was just readying my things for my departure." He said politely.

"Leaving so soon?"

"As much as I have enjoyed your company, my lady, and truly I have; the north is not for me. I think I am just going to take my piss of The Wall and be off." He said with a smile.

"I wish you safe travels." Dimeria said laughing along with him.

Tyrion continued walking past her and she did the same, until a thought came to her mind.

"Lord Tyrion!" She said turning back to him. He turned to regard her with questioning eyebrows raised. "On the first night we met," she said, "you questioned me about my parents."

"Yes, and I mentioned the Targaryens." He said.

"I don't know much about the noble families, but…is there a way I might be able to find out about mine?" She asked him.

He considered her question for a moment before actually answering. She was an inquisitive girl, he could tell that easily. He was hesitant to give her an answer at first, for if Dimeria was not of a royal birth line, it would be nearly impossible to track down her origins. Tyrion could not bring himself to disappoint her, though.

"Perhaps. We have a library filled with many family trees, yours may be in there."

Dimeria bit her bottom lip in contemplation. Maybe she was getting worked up about nothing. Maybe her parents were just simple people trying to get by in life and they just couldn't afford to keep her. The possibility of her actually belonging to a royal bloodline was slim, but she couldn't forget Aemon and Jeor's conversation.

"To be completely honest, I would not mind having you for company on my trip home." Tyrion told her.

"Thank you, Lord Tyrion. Perhaps another time?"

"You are always welcome, my lady." Lord Tyrion smiled at her.

Dimeria was left alone with her thoughts. How much longer would she have to live with this gnawing curiosity? It seemed to eat at her heart every minute of every day. She really didn't even understand why it mattered to her so much. What would she gain out of it? She had lived her entire life on The Wall, if she found her parents, it's not like she could pick her life up with them as if she had known them forever. Dimeria pushed her anxiety away and decided to get ready for the coming day.

She went out to the training range. The men had started to rise, reminding her to keep her head down and her gaze straight.

"Bastard!" A voice called out.

Hearing it made her skin crawl. Alliser Thorne. He wasn't like the men that lusted after her, but he caused her blood to boil just as easily. He was an arrogant man, putting others down to push himself up. He seemed to prey upon others' weaknesses to rip them apart and completely destroy them. He had recently set his aim upon Jon Snow, focusing on his good qualities to turn the other recruits against him.

"What do you want?" She asked turning to Alliser.

"I assume you'll be a guide to the new recruits when they go to take their oaths…"

"No, since that is supposed to be your job." She responded rudely.

"Not today it isn't. Make sure you don't let them wander off." With an arrogant smirk, he strode off.

Anger couldn't even begin to describe how Dimeria felt when she thought of Alliser, but instead of complaining to Jeor, she stifled her fury and walked on. It wouldn't be too awful guiding the new recruits. In fact, she thought she might actually enjoy it considering Jon would be there…and even Samwell.

…

"Did you enjoy your piss?" Jon Snow asked Tyrion.

"Why yes, I did. Possibly one of the most satisfying experiences I've had. Besides my whores, of course." He said crassly.

"I heard you are going soon. I hope you have a safe journey." Jon said.

"My thanks. Good luck on the Night's Watch. And remember what I said about being a bastard. I guarantee it will help." Before turning away, Tyrion paused to say one more thing,

"That Dimeria girl…keep her close. It's not often you find someone with a spirit such as hers.

Jon furrowed his brows at the comment, but said nothing of it. His mind was still swimming with thoughts of taking his oath. He figured he was the first man to ever be so thrilled at being a Night's Watchman. To him though, it was the first time he would ever truly be apart of something. The Stark's were his family, but he often did not feel like he was one of them. Castle Black was a chance to truly feel welcome into a group.

"Jon!"

He turned to see Dimeria walking towards him.

"It seems that I will be your guide beyond The Wall today." She said happily. Jon returned her smile.

"That seems fitting. I would want a friend there with me." He smiled at her and then asked, "Has Benjen already left?"

"Yes, he left early this morning…we should find Samwell and the others, we will be going soon." Before leaving she said, "You should be excited, you will do well here at The Wall…I can tell plenty is in store for you." She gave him a quick hug and then walked away.

…

They stepped out of the tunnel and into the white oblivion beyond The Wall. It didn't seem possible, but the wind blew stronger, the cold was harsher. The recruits could hardly see what was in front of them. They all pulled their cloaks tighter around them, except for Dimeria. She tucked the loose white strand of hair behind her ear and closed her eyes as if welcoming the bitter cold. She led them to a tree, that to them seemed to appear out of nowhere; a weirwood. Stopping there, she faced them and said:

"This is where you shall take your oath." She said gesturing to the tree behind them. "Place your sword in the ground here and take a knee. One at a time, you shall say your vow."

The 5 guards that she had escorted all stood there nervously, none stepping up to go first. The howling wind soared through their ears and their hair blew wildly about their shoulders. Dimeria stood patiently as she waited for one to kneel down. Jon was the first to come forward. He drew his sword from its sheath and bent down on the ground. Solemnly bowing his head, he recited to oath:

"_Night gathers, and now my watch begins. It shall not end until my death. I shall take no wife, hold no lands, father no children. I shall wear no crowns and win no glory. I shall live and die at my post. I am the sword in the darkness. I am the watcher on the walls. I am the shield that guards the realms of men. I pledge my life and honor to the Night's Watch, for this night and all the nights to come."_

One by one, the rest of them knelt down and made their promise. It was a humbling moment for Dimeria. She had heard the oath, though she had never taken it for herself, but to hear it put into words and action; it reminded her of the true sacrifice the men of the Night's Watch make.

The last one made his pledge and Dimeria smiled at them.

"Congratulations, you are now officially guards of the Night's Watch."

Congratulatory pats were exchanged and joyous emotions reverberated around them. The feeling was surreal for Jon Snow and the others; they were officially Night's Watchmen. Their haze of happiness was quickly dissolved by the loud snap of a branch and the appearance of two White walkers.

* * *

_**Sorry for the cliffhanger, but I hope you all are enjoying the story! This chapter was a bit hard to write, I had a bit of writer's block. Hopefully it turned out alright :) Please remember to leave reviews...thanks guys!**_


	6. Chapter 7

_**A/N: Here's the next chapter! This one was a lot of fun to write, so I hope you all enjoy it. Remember to leave reviews, they really do help me and they could help improve my writing if you have tips. Thanks!**_

* * *

Fear froze all of them in place. Never in their wildest dreams had they thought they would ever see a White walker—No less, TWO white walkers. They were creatures of myths and legends, beings that hadn't been seen for centuries. Yet, here they were, two undead beasts, with hideous glowing eyes and pale flesh. They made inhuman noises, gurgling up from their throats. They seemed to just stand and stare at the six of them for what seemed like ages until one of them broke the silence.

"What do we do?" Samwell whispered frantically.

Jon looked to Dimeria who still had her eyes locked with the monsters. Another one of the recruits could no longer handle it and turned to run away. And that was when all hell broke loose. The White walkers snapped out of their hypnotized gaze and ran towards them, bearing their teeth and screaming like crazed animals. Dimeria and Jon immediately drew their weapons preparing for the attack. The first came at Jon, lifting its decomposed arms at his head. Raising his sword above his head, he stepped to the left and hacked off the right arm. Still, the beast turned and ran back for more. Jon was taken completely by surprise and the white walker swatted the sword out of his hand.

"Jon!" Dimeria called out to him. As she ran to aid him, the other white walker confronted her. It pushed her up against a tree and began choking the life out of her. She hysterically pulled at the hideous flesh of the white walker, but the grip would not release. Her head was pounding and she could feel the last bits of air being pushed from her lungs.

A shudder ran through the arm of the white walker, and suddenly she saw a blade sticking through its chest. The White walker turned and revealed a frightened Samwell standing behind it. Without a second thought, Samwell turned and ran away and the White walker followed.

"Sam! No!" Dimeria managed to scream when she had reclaimed her voice.

She looked to Jon who had managed to cut off the legs of the beast attacking him and was telling the other guards to run back for help. Having to speak no words, the two of them ran after Sam into the icy forest. They found him narrowly dodging deadly hits from the White walker. Dimeria ran with her sword in hand, only to be surprised by the creature's inhuman speed as it forcefully threw her to side. Instead of landing heavily on her side, she seemed to slip and slide on the ground. She pushed herself up, not realizing where she had fallen. Dimeria was lying on a pond that had long been covered by ice. Unfortunately for her, a long crack ran from her to the edge; and it continued to span all across the body of water like a spider web, waiting to fall apart at any moment.

…

Right behind Dimeria, Jon drew his sword and began fighting off the White walker. He had to get the wretched creature away from Sam, but he was filled with worry, for he saw that Dimeria was stranded in the middle of a frozen body of water.

"Hold on, Dimeria!" He heard Sam cry.

The White walker stopped at the sound of his voice. Completely stunned, Jon could not bring himself to move. The White walker eerily turned its head in Dimeria's direction, stopping Dimeria's heart in fear. She stopped breathing almost, in hope that the ice would stop breaking. As if it knew exactly what predicament she was in, the White walker grabbed a large stone. Panic swelled in Jon's heart and he rushed towards the White walker.

But he was too late.

The White walker hurled the boulder, not aiming at Dimeria, but just throwing it onto the ice. With a loud crash, the ice barrier broke and the pieces sank into the water, taking Dimeria with them.

"No…" Jon muttered, "no!"

Functioning purely on rage, he charged the White walker with his sword raised. With a mighty heave, he decapitated it and dropped his weapon in complete exhaustion. Dimeria was still in the water, though, so he rose once more; intent on saving his friend from her freezing doom.

"Jon wait! You'll be killed!" Samwell said pulling him back.

"We can't just leave her out there!" Jon screamed back.

Having no response, Sam stood staring at him with wide eyes. Jon did not try to save her again though; he knew he wouldn't make it. They stood at the edge of the water, waiting for any sign of Dimeria. The water still wavered and splashed at the edges from the cracking ice, but Dimeria did not emerge. Sorrow gripped their hearts, yet they could not bring themselves to move away from the sight. They stood silently, mourning for their dear friend.

…

She expected pain; cold, icy pain stabbing her like a million needles all at once.

But she was fine. Dimeria finally opened her eyes when she was conscious of the fact that she wasn't dead. The water all around her seemed to be pulsating, as if the pond had a heartbeat. She gazed around in the water, searching for the source of constant beats. And that's when she saw them. To her left were two oval-shaped stones the size of her head, resting next to each other. They were radiating a soft blue, lighting up the rest of the water. Dimeria was completely entranced by them. Using the last of the air in her lungs, she swam deeper into the water, pulled them into her arms, and went back up to the surface.

…

Tears rimmed Jon's eyes as he continued to stand at the edge of the water. The other men who had just taken their oaths would surely be back soon with help; he did not want to think about the bad news he would have to share with them. He turned his back and began to leave when he heard a splash and huge gasp for air.

"By the gods…" He heard Sam say behind him. "Jon, look!"

Jon turned to see Dimeria resurfacing and trying to swim to shore. Without a second thought, he ran to the edge of the pond heaved Dimeria to land when she got within arm's reach. She was breathing heavily as she lay at his feet and he bent down to drag the rest of her body out of the water. He saw the two stones she had in her hands, but paid no attention to them, for he was only concerned with Dimeria's well being.

"Are you alright?! Are you hurt?" He asked her frantically.

"I'm fine…I'm okay." She stuttered breathlessly. She still clutched the two stones, not quite understanding why she was so mesmerized by them. She sat up on her knees facing Jon in the snow. Dimeria really didn't even know how she swam up to the surface; she had no clue how to swim. The water terrified her beyond her dreams. Jon removed his own cloak from around his shoulders and went to place it around Dimeria's back. She put up her hand to stop him.

"Really. I am fine." She reassured him. Jon was skeptical. She should be freezing to death right before his eyes, but Dimeria held back his arm, stopping him from placing his cloak around her. Instead, he gathered her in his arms and held her close to him. Holding her head to his shoulder, Jon could feel her warm breath coming to a steady pace as he embraced her. Dimeria wrapped her arms around him and allowed herself to relax in his arms. Samwell then rushed up to them, also bending down to his knees.

"How could you have survived?" He questioned Dimeria anxiously.

Pulling herself away from Jon's grasp, she looked to Sam and answered,

"I do not know…" She was soaking wet, her white strand of hair hardening as ice formed on it.

"Anyone would have died as soon as they hit the water." Sam exclaimed.

Dimeria furrowed her brows not understanding what it was Sam expected from her. Instead, Samwell laughed with relief and put his arms around her for a hug. Dimeria immediately felt Jon's arms join in and so they sat there on the ground, basking in their good fortune.

Soon, they heard the footsteps and fretful calls of the comrades in the distance. They pulled themselves together and ran to join them; they later described the terrifying incident to the Lord Commander when they got back to The Wall. During their journey back, Jon noticed the way Dimeria still grasped the strange blue stones in her arms, trying to cover them with her wet cloak.

"What are those?" He whispered over to her.

She shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not sure. I found them in the water." She said with wide eyes. She clung to them even tighter as she walked on ahead of Jon. He furrowed his brows in confusion.

_Strange…_ Jon thought to himself. It almost looked as if the stones had scales on them.

* * *

_**Thank you everyone who's been reading, it means so much and I hope you're enjoying! Remember to review!**_


	7. Chapter 8

_**A/N: So here's the next part, I hope you enjoy! This is one of the longer pieces I've done; I plan on making them longer from now on. Remember to follow and review! Thanks!**_

* * *

It seemed to Dimeria that it had been ages since she had last spoken to Aemon. She hardly saw him anymore these days, and if she did, she tended to avoid him. The old man was blind now. He kept to himself mostly, unless he was with Lord Commander Jeor, advising him on different matters. She knocked on the door to his chambers, drawing his sightless eyes in her direction.

"Enter." He said quietly. She walked in quietly gazing around his room. There wasn't much in there; Dimeria assumed it was that way so that he could get around easier. She held the 2 stones in her hand, clutching them tightly to her sides. She set them down on the table.

"Who is it?" He questioned.

"Uh, Dimeria." She answered.

A smile formed on his face. "Ah, Dimeria. I am honored by your presence, I feared you thought yourself too good to speak to me."

Dimeria let herself freely glare at the blind man from across the room. He had always taken a sarcastic, condescending tone with her that she hated, but ever since she had let Jeor and Aemon fall of out her good graces, she found that it annoyed her even more.

"To what do I owe this pleasure?" Aemon asked her with a voice filled with mock politeness.

She furrowed her brow angrily and said, "I came here seeking information, but you obviously do not want me here. I will leave you to your business, whatever that may be." She said curtly, while making a move to grab the stones.

"Oh, calm yourself and take a seat. I would've expected your temper to have died down, but apparently not." Aemon had always known she would have a sharp tongue; it was in her blood, her Targaryen blood. He thought perhaps if she had never known that, she wouldn't have been too much to handle.

He was obviously wrong.

She sighed loudly knowing that he would hear her and took a seat. She placed her hands on the stones and gazed at them with wonder.

"I found something the other day, when I was escorting the recruits to take their oaths…"

"Ah yes, the White walkers." He said knowingly.

"I am not speaking of the White walkers." She said through gritted teeth, irritated with his interruption.

Aemon inhaled sharply at her growing displeasure and pursed his lips. He could not see her face, but he could tell from her voice that she was struggling to control her anger.

_The temper of Targaryens…I could not imagine what she would be like if she had stayed with her family._ He thought to himself. He made a gesture with his hands signaling her to continue.

"It was when we were attacked," she began, "I fell through thin ice into a pond."

"That is what I heard. Amazing that you survived." He said.

Dimeria took a dramatically long pause, showing her irritation. Aemon mentally rolled his eyes, knowing that to actually do so would just be strange.

"As I was saying," she said after a deep breath, "when I was in the water, I did not feel any pain. Yes, it is strange and I wonder as to why that is…" She said leaving it open for him to possibly answer her. Seeing that he offered no response, (for once) she continued,

"But it allowed me to look around in the water."

"And what did you see?" He asked.

For once, it seemed that she was not bothered by his interruption. She was happy for the chance to describe her experience. Of course, when she had gotten back from the encounter many of the men asked her what happened, but she didn't want to speak of what happened when she found the stones; she knew they would just call her crazy.

"It was incredible." She said. "I've never seen anything like it. The water was crystal clear and it seemed like I was in an entirely different world."

Aemon smiled at the awe in her voice. It had been many years since he had heard such passion come from her.

"The water seemed to be pulsing, like a drum was beating underwater. I wanted to find where it was coming from and that's where I found these…" she said placing her hands on the stones in front of her. "I thought they were just ordinary rocks, but they were glowing and I could tell they were the source of the beats."

"Sounds like quite the experience." Aemon said.

"It was, but not one I would want to repeat. I..the water-it..." Dimeria couldn't find the right words. "I don't think I"ll be going in anymore water anytime soon."

Aemon held his hands open on the table, wanting her to place the stones in his grasp.

"I've spent the past few nights cleaning them, they were quite dirty when I grabbed them; and that's when I noticed that weren't just normal rocks. They look like…. well, you feel them." She said pushing them into his reach.

He placed his hands on them and his face automatically fell. They had small ridges covering every inch, each small bulge completely smooth. Any normal person would have described them as scales. He ran his hands all up and down them, still not quite believing what it was he held.

_Dragon eggs._ He thought to himself. It had been so many years since he last laid eyes on the rare beauties. His mind could not grasp the fact that it was Dimeria who found them. _She holds more dragon blood than I thought._

"Well…?" Dimeria said interrupting his thoughts.

"It seems you have found…dragon eggs." He said trying to show no emotion in his voice.

"I knew it." She said breathlessly.

Two actual dragon eggs, real dragons hadn't been seen for years now, not since the Mad King had been murdered. Dimeria didn't know much about the Mad King, she was still only a child when his murder came about; and even then, people at The Wall didn't speak about it around her.

"These are rare gifts, you should consider yourself lucky for finding them." He said gently pushing them back to her. "It is even stranger that you found them here in the north."

He got up then, blindly going about his business in the room. Taking that as her cue to leave, she grabbed her dragon eggs and began to walk out. She turned back to him though, looking curiously down at the eggs.

"Could these ever...hatch?" She asked him with a voice full of hope.

"It is doubtful. Dragon eggs need a dragon mother to hatch…" He said.

_Which you very well may be…_ Aemon thought to himself as she disappointedly left the room.

* * *

Dimeria once again sat in front of a small fire at her post on The Wall. She had been waiting for Jon for a short while, eagerly looking forward to spending time with her dear friend. They hadn't seen much of each other after their encounter with the White Walkers. He was busy with his new jobs after taking the oath and she was rather engrossed with her newfound dragon eggs to spend much time out of her quarters. Dimeria had been completely thrilled when she learned she had acquired two dragon eggs; she was ready to rush straight to Jon and tell him of her discovery, but when she found out they would never hatch, she saw no need to inform Jon of anything. Still, the eggs were special to her and she never took them out of her chambers for fear of them getting stolen.

Dimeria heard Jon's footsteps and she excitedly turned to greet him, only to realize he did not look quite as happy as she.

"What has you in such a foul mood?" She asked bluntly.

"They gave out the names of the trainees for the rangers who have taken their oaths." He told her.

"Oh, the horror!" She said mockingly. A teasing smile came on her face, but it did nothing to dispel his anger.

"I have been placed as a personal steward for Lord Commander Jeor." He said bitterly.

Dimeria bit her bottom lip at the mention of Jeor. She looked at Jon sympathetically; she knew he desired to be a ranger.

"Perhaps there was a mistake." She offered.

"You and I both know it is Alliser punishing me."

"You should speak with Maester Aemon, he may be able to do something." She suggested to him.

"I just came from speaking with him, he offered no assistance."

"Well then I don't know why you're speaking with me! I cannot change anything about the training. You might as well suck it up and learn to do as you're told!" She yelled at him.

He widened his eyes at her in surprise, but did not argue. He knew she was right; she could do nothing about the rankings even though she was technically a commander at Castle Black, but he just needed to get his frustration off his chest.

"I am sorry. I have already been stressed enough with what has happened with Benjen, becoming a steward didn't really help. I am just frustrated."

Dimeria got up then and hugged Jon tightly. The news of Jon's uncle had confused and worried everyone at The Wall, especially Jon. Benjen's horse had been seen returning to Castle Black, but there was no sign of Benjen. Dimeria released Jon, but still had her hands on his shoulders.

"Being a steward will not be that bad. Lord Commander Jeor will…he will treat you well." She told Jon. She turned away from him then, leaning against the wall to her right.

"May I ask you something?" Jon said.

"You just did." She said sarcastically.

"You know what I mean." He said with a smile. After a pause he continued, "Lord Commander and Maester Aemon are the two men who brought you here, they practically raised you. Yet you speak of them so coldly, as if you want nothing to do with them. Why is that?"

She felt her heart rate quicken as he questioned her. She never suspected that anyone would notice, or even care about the way she acted around Jeor and Aemon, but apparently Jon did.

"Because…it's because they-well…" She stuttered over the words. She suddenly found herself very hesitant to speak of their betrayal towards her. Would anyone understand her anger, why she was truly hurt from the secrets they kept? She looked into Jon's eyes and saw no judgment, only kindness. She figured if anyone would begin to understand, it would be him.

"It's because I can't bring myself to trust them, not anymore." She said sadly.

"Why is that?"

"They lied to me."

"About what?" He asked her.

"Everything! Who I am, where I'm from! They've kept secrets about my life hidden from me since I first came here."

"And that angers you?"

She spun around to him quickly, anger filling her entire being.

"Of course it does!" She spat at him, "Your father kept your mother's identity hidden from you. Did that not make you mad?!" She said coming close to tears.

"Yes! It did, but…he did it protect me, so I wouldn't go searching. Perhaps that is what Jeor and Aemon are doing!" He yelled back at her.

"I don't need protection!" She said letting the tears fall from her eyes. Dimeria turned away from him again, putting her face in her hands. "What I **need** is to find out who I am…" She said quietly.

He put his hand on her shoulder, slowly spinning her back towards him. He took her hands away from her face and held them.

"Why does it matter so much to you? You've lived your life well here, does all that mean nothing to you?"

"It means everything to me." She said looking down. "I owe Aemon and Jeor my life, they're responsible for everything I am."

"Then why are you letting your past dictate your actions?" He asked calmly.

"Because not only are Aemon and Jeor responsible for making me what I am, but I also believe my origins are."

He looked at her with a puzzled look on his face. "Why is that?"

"You saw what happened beyond The Wall, Jon. I should have died that day when I fell in the water, but I didn't. The cold hardly affects me at all." She finally looked up into his eyes. "And this white strand of hair…it's all anyone asks me about! I obviously inherited it and…and-I'm curious as to whom I got it from!"

Dimeria sighed then, feeling utterly exhausted. "I just want to know who I am. I have a right to know, don't I?"

Jon hugged her tightly, understanding how she felt. It was an overwhelming feeling knowing that someone out there is your parent and you may never find out who they are. He ran his hand over her long dark hair trying to calm her down. He rested his cheek on her head and let her head lay on his shoulder until he felt her breathing come back under control.

"Have you ever just asked them?"

She pulled back from him and said, "They won't tell me. They believe it is too dangerous for me to know."

She looked up at him then, sadness suddenly leaving her eyes. A mischievous smirk found its way onto her face and she bit her lip in contemplation.

"What if I left to find out?" She said.

"What?"

"What if I went and found my parents?" She asked excitedly.

"You can't just…leave." He said. Concern for Dimeria filled his mind and his sole focus was trying to get her to think straight.

"Yes I can! I've never taken the oath like you have, I can come and go as I please!" Dimeria's eyes sparkled with delight at her sudden realization. She looked back to Jon and eyed him curiously.

"What? Aren't you happy for me?"

He sighed audibly and stepped closer to her. "Maybe you shouldn't go. It could be dangerous."

"Oh please, you're beginning to sound like Aemon and Jeor." She snapped at him as she stepped away.

"Dimeria, I want you to find out who your parents are, believe me, I do. It's just, you've never been out there before, and you don't know what could happen to you."

She closed her eyes realizing that he was right. She didn't know anything of the outside world, let alone where anything was. She would be more lost than a small child without his or her mother out there.

"I need to find out though, Jon. I have a right to know. If I don't ever find out I could never live with myself."

He stepped forward and tucked a strand of hair that had fallen loose from her braid behind her ear.

"I know. Will you promise me one thing?" He asked her.

"Of course."

"Don't leave yet. Go to Jeor and Aemon, perhaps they will tell you everything. If they do, then you won't have to leave."

Dimeria opened her mouth to protest, but he put his finger to her lips stopping her.

"Promise me, okay? Just promise me that one thing." He said urgently.

"I promise." She said quietly.

He closed his eyes and thanked her with a warm embrace. She hugged him back, thankful that she had a friend such as him. They spent the rest of the night enjoying each other's company as they normally did. Dimeria tried to remember each happy moment she had with him, reveling in the friendship they had; for she knew that it would only be a matter a time before she left him.

…

Dimeria walked into the dining hall simply looking for something to eat. Instead, she greeted by Jon holding a blade to Alliser Thorne's throat. She rushed over to the scene, yelling at Jon to stop.

"Put the blade down, Jon!" She urged him. He removed the blade and glared at the still smirking Alliser.

"Speak one more word against my father, and I swear…"

"Snow!" A loud voice interrupted Jon's threat. Everyone turned to see Lord Commander Jeor coming towards them with an unhappy look upon his face. Dimeria forced herself to stifle a groan at the sight of and she quickly looked down at the ground.

Jeor quickly dismissed Alliser and other spectators from the dining hall, leaving only Jon and Dimeria with him. Jeor had meant for Dimeria to follow the other guards, but after seeing the stubborn look on her face, he decided not to press the issue. He discussed the incident with both of them, using Dimeria as a witness to the event.

"You're confined to your quarters, Jon. For the rest of the night." With that, the Lord Commander walked away.

Jon turned away and swatted a mug from the table in anger. Dimeria looked on at him with concern, but suddenly felt a bubble of laughter float its way up through her mouth. Jon turned to her incredulously not understanding where she was finding humor, but after a moment, joined in.

"I believe Alliser may have pissed his trousers." She laughed loudly.

"It may improve his smell." Jon said. They continued laughing until their stomach muscles ached in protest.

"I suppose I should go to my chambers, then." He said.

"I will walk you there." Dimeria said with a smile. They walked in silence until Jon asked:

"Have you spoken with Aemon and Jeor?"

She took a deep breath before answering. Honestly, she had never planned on speaking with them at all; she intended to sneak away from The Wall without anyone knowing. She looked at Jon though and was reminded of the promise she made to him. She began wondering how she let herself become this way with Jon: vulnerable. Dimeria made it her mission to keep everyone she met at arm's length, yet here she was allowing herself to become close to him; to actually show her emotions with him. She thought of how Jon would feel if he ever found out she had broken her promise and she decided she could handle the disappointment he would have in her.

"No, I have not spoken with them. I will, though…soon, I hope."

He only nodded in response, still not feeling comfortable with her leaving. He never thought he would ever become close friends with Dimeria, he never thought she would allow for that to happen, but ever since that night where Lord Tyrion hand mentioned a special 'bastard bond', they had been inseparable. It was not a romantic relationship, he knew she would never let it go that far, but he could not deny how easily it would be for him to fancy her in that respect.

They came to his chambers and Dimeria surprised him by giving him a tight hug.

"I'm sorry about your father, Jon. And for your uncle and your brother and just…everything that has happened."

"Why are you saying this?" He asked her.

"You're the only true friend I've ever had and I don't think I will ever another such as you. I just wanted to make sure you know that…and that you'll always remember it."

"I will." He reassured her. She nodded her thanks and walked away, her white strand of hair blowing in the wind. Jon knew why Dimeria had said those things; he knew that she planned on leaving soon; he just wished he could change her mind.

* * *

_**So there ya go! I hope you liked this chapter, I really enjoyed writing the scenes with Jon and Dimeria; I feel like it really captured their friendship.**_

_**Please let me know what you think…your reviews keep me going!**_


	8. Chapter 9

_**A/N: So here's the next part! I really enjoyed this one and I think it's one of my best. Remember to let me know what you think! Thank you!**_

* * *

Dimeria held the dragon eggs in her palms, gazing at them intently. Never had she seen such beauty, such exquisite creations. They shimmered blue and silver, changing colors in the candlelight. It was such a disappointment that they would never hatch into the majestic beings she knew they could be, but at the same time, the eggs were truly a treasure. She carefully placed them in her pack along with several pairs of trousers and tunics. She would be leaving that night, whether Aemon and Jeor told her of her past or not, she would be leaving Castle Black. She gazed at her reflection in the mirror.

Did she resemble her mother? She wondered.

Or perhaps her father…

She closed her eyes in anticipation; she would know soon, soon she would find her parents. She tucked her white strand of hair behind her ear.

_And soon I will know where this comes from…_ She laughed at the thought. Dimeria stepped out with her pack and her cowl drawn close to her face. The night was cold; not that she cared, she never felt the cold bite of the wind. Another mystery she hoped she would solve when she found her parents. She was headed towards Lord Commander Jeor's chambers to speak with him about her past; she intended to keep her promise to Jon about talking to them.

The night was still, eerily so. Most of the men were taking extra shifts on The Wall ever since 2 of Benjen's men had been found dead, but still no sign of Benjen himself. She came to Jeor's chambers and knocked.

"Jeor?" She called, forgetting to use his proper title. She was too anxious to finally leave.

"Hello! Jeor…?" She said pushing the door open herself. A loud crash sounded from within and she quickly ran inside. Her eyes widened when she saw Jon Snow being shoved up against a wall, having the live choked out of him. Confusion washed over her mind.

_Why would Jeor be attacking Jon?_

Dimeria ran up grasping Jeor by the shoulders and pulling him back, only to realize it wasn't Jeor.

Another White Walker.

"By the Gods…" She breathed out.

Not having time to draw her weapons, the White Walker backhanded her across the face, sending her sprawling across the floor. Once Jon had recovered his breath, he drew his own sword and stabbed the large undead man through the chest; not that it did any good, the White walker seemed to have no response. Dimeria pushed herself up and rubbed her hand across her cheek, it was already starting to swell. Terror coursed through every inch of her body. Three White Walkers in one week, how was this even possible? Her heart pounded in her chest so loud that she thought it would burst out. She shakily drew her sword out if it's sheath, only to replace it. Blades would do nothing against this foe. Fire. She needed fire. Jon was still stabbing and cutting the White Walker, but was tiring quickly. As if hearing Dimeria's silent plea, Jeor rushed in holding an oil lamp in his hand. She stumbled over to Jeor, quickly grabbing the lamp from him.

"Jon, move!" She screamed at him.

Jon quickly dove to the side seeing the lamp in Dimeria's hand. She launched the lamp at the White Walker and it quickly turned into a large mass of fiery inferno. The three ran from the room, letting the beast come to its flame-filled demise. They went straight to Maester Aemon's chambers where the other dead body was being held for inspection. Lord Commander Jeor immediately told him to burn the body, for he knew that it would rise to cause terror at Castle Black.

"Dimeria, your hand." Jon said seriously while grabbing Dimeria's wrist to inspect the hand in which she had grabbed the oil lamp with.

But it was fine.

No damage could be seen, whatsoever. Her hand wasn't even hot from the flames, but cold; ice cold. She drew her hand away and met his stunned gaze. She could offer no response, so she just shook her head and shrugged. He sighed knowing that the anomaly would only increase her drive to leave and find her parents, nothing that Jon did could keep her at The Wall, nothing at all.

After they burned the other body and put the flames out, Dimeria, Jon, and Jeor all gathered back in Maester Aemon's room.

"I would usually punish those that left their quarters when they were supposed to be confined to them, but it seems as though I owe you a great deal of gratitude. I would have been dead if you had not shown up." Jeor said to Jon, "And you as well, Dimeria." He said acknowledging her.

"It was Ghost, really. He had been scratching at my door; he knew something was happening, something bad." Jon said.

"Well then give your dog a pat on the head for me!" Jeor laughed.

"Dire wolf." Dimeria said bitterly as she rolled her eyes at him.

Jon bit the inside of his cheek trying to stifle a laugh at her rude comment. Jeor dismissed her remark and eyed her curiously.

"What were you doing at my chambers, may I ask?" He said to Dimeria.

Dimeria took a deep breath before answering, "I hoped to speak with you about something, to you and Maester Aemon, actually."

"Well, we are both here. What is on your mind?" Aemon asked her.

Before she could begin, Jon looked to Dimeria and asked, "Would you like me to stay?"

"It would not matter either way…" Dimeria said dismissively. She wanted to get this over with so she could depart. Jon remained in his seat, hoping his presence would be enough to show Dimeria that he supported her decision even though he was scared for her.

Dimeria felt a slight tingling in her fingertips. She had never spoken with Aemon and Jeor about her parents before, and here she was, getting ready to tell them that she not only wanted to know everything, but that she was also setting off the find them. She bit her lip in contemplation. She wasn't quite sure how she should word everything. For the first time, she felt unsure about finding things out about her past. And she was just assuming they would tell her, what if they didn't? What if they told her nothing and she had to discover everything on her own? The thought excited just as much as it frightened her. Deciding it was now or never, she took a deep breath,

"I want to know about my parents." She spoke quickly. She hadn't noticed that she had clenched her hands together out of anxiety. She released her tight grip and stretched her sore muscles.

She looked at Aemon and Jeor and already knew things weren't going well. Both of them had drawn their lips together in taut lines and wore grim expressions upon their faces.

"Dimeria," Jeor began, "there is a reason we never told you about your parents…"

"And there is a reason why I want to know now!" She said desperately.

Maester Aemon took a deep breath and folded his hands on the table. He always hoped this day would never come; yet here it was before him, demanding that he give an answer.

"My girl, there are some things that we are not meant to know. Knowledge is valuable, but ignorance can also keep you safe." He told her.

"It is my right to know, they are my parents; they brought me into this world!" She said raising her voice. "Why must you insist on keeping this from me?!"

Jeor clenched his jaws. "It is for your own good, Dimeria." He said through gritted teeth.

"Tell me." She demanded.

"No." Aemon and Jeor said together.

Jon continued to sit there at the table, looking down and holding his breath. He knew it would come to this, to Dimeria demanding information, but not getting it. He wanted Dimeria to know of her past, he really did, but another part of him wanted her to stay at The Night's Watch. She didn't know what was out there in the real world, not really. It may not seem like it to her, but Dimeria had been sheltered her entire life from the troubles that continuously circled about out there. He looked to Dimeria and saw her set her jaw in determination.

"Fine." She said. "Then I shall find out myself."

Jon closed his eyes. There it was, she had finally said it.

"What do you mean?" Jeor asked, getting quite flustered.

"If you will not tell me, I will find out the truth myself."

If Aemon had been able to see, he would have seen the intent look upon her face and the spark of anger behind her eyes. Dimeria was a force to be reckoned with when she set her mind on something and Aemon and Jeor were not handling the situation well.

"You do not know what you are getting yourself into. There was a reason you were given to us and…"

"What reason is that?" Dimeria asked excitedly, getting the first hint she had ever gotten from Jeor of her past. Jeor pursed his lips as he realized he had almost slipped up.

"Fine," he said, "if you wish to go…then go." He said with finality. Jon jerked his head in surprise.

"You would let her go so easily?" He asked.

"She is not the first I have allowed to leave my watch because of blind ambitions. It is her dishonor, not mine." Jeor said pompously.

"Dishonor…?" Dimeria breathed out angrily. She narrowed her eyes dangerously at Jeor, causing him to break his proud façade. Her cold blue eyes settled on him…if looks could kill then Dimeria was certainly succeeding, for Jeor felt a terrified lump form in his throat, making it difficult for him to swallow.

Jon quickly grabbed Dimeria's arm and led her out.

"Come on." He said to her. As soon as they came outside, she jerked her arm away from him. Her heart pounded from anger and at the same time, exhilaration.

She had done it.

She was finally leaving Castle Black.

She turned back to Jon who had a sad look upon his face. He looked to Dimeria and noticed her guilty gaze, so he replaced his sad demeanor and smiled.

"Come, I will see you out."

…

"I knew it. I knew we should have told her all those years ago." Jeor paced in Maester Aemon's room. "Now look at what has happened…she is leaving!"

"There is nothing we could have done. The signs were there, becoming more apparent every day. She has more dragon blood than either of us could have anticipated." Aemon said.

"What are we going to do?"

"We can't do anything. Dimeria has taken her life into her own hands and is therefore responsible for her own actions. We can only wait and hope she comes out of it unscathed."

"I fear for her." Jeor admitted.

"As do I. Trouble is stirring up and she could end up in the middle of it." Aemon said softly. "If people find out she is a Targaryen…"

"Perhaps they will not find out. She is only half…"

Aemon shook his head doubtfully. The girl found dragon eggs, what more evidence could there be to say she was of the dragon bloodline?

_Unless they were to hatch…_ He thought to himself. He shook is head once more. _No. It is not possible she is a dragon mother. Is it?_

…

"Send a raven when you can." Jon said to her. They were finishing readying her horse for her journey. The time was upon them now and Jon couldn't help but feel a painful tugging at his heart at the sight of her leaving.

"I will." She promised him. She set her pack on her horse, making sure her dragon eggs were tucked safely away. Dimeria stepped back and looked up at Jon. They immediately embraced each other, both holding on tightly. Dimeria closed her eyes and breathed into his shoulder. She would miss him dearly and she suddenly felt a longing to stay with him at The Wall, but she knew she couldn't do that. It was time to find out who she was. She inhaled his scent, trying to memorize everything about him; she knew it would a long time for she ever saw him again, possibly years.

Jon held her close and forced himself to hold in his tears, for he knew that she would shed none. Whether he believed in the gods, old or new, he planned to pray to them for Dimeria to have safe travels.

"I guess this is goodbye." She spoke into his shoulder.

"Only for now. We will see each other again." He said pulling back. She smiled up at him and placed the white streak of hair behind her ear, it always seemed to be falling out of place.

"Stay safe." He told her. She nodded and mounted her horse. He stayed to the side and walked her to the large doors leading outside of The Wall.

"Hey," He said looking up, "When you find your parents, make sure you give them hell for missing the first 21 years of your life."

"Of course." She said with a mischievous smile.

He patted her horse from behind and watched them speed off into the night.

She was gone.

Like a leaf floating in the breeze, or a shadow disappearing from sight; she was gone. He watched until she merged with the blackness of midnight and was completely out of view.

_Stay safe_…he prayed silently.

…

She was a black arrow through the dark night, a cold breeze in the night sky; she was speed and darkness, travelling the new path before her. Dimeria didn't know where she was going, only that she was leaving The Wall. The wind bit at her face as she rode on faster and faster, guiding her horse until the animal demanded rest. The exhilaration of freedom coursed through her veins and electricity buzzed her nerves. She needed no sleep, her eyes never grew weary; she needed no guidance, her heart seemed to know exactly where she was.

_South to King's Landing_ she told herself, _Lord Tyrion said I would always be welcome there._

And south she went, riding through thick forests and rocky paths; nothing could stop her, nothing.

It was late at night and she slowed her horse down to an easy trot. The land was uneven here, making it more difficult and strenuous. Dimeria looked up to the sky and smiled at the billions of stars that twinkled down upon her. The absolute jubilation she felt when she left The Wall still lingered in her mind, giving her a rush of happiness and a slight tingling to her head. Her chest felt tight as she held in her joy, but then she laughed to herself realizing how ridiculous that was. Why should she hide it? She stopped her horse and dismounted it. Looking up to the sky, she cheered loudly, releasing the tension and build up she had held onto for years. She raised her arms up, stretching them as high into the heavens as she pleased.

A dull ache started in her cheek and she quickly realized how much she had been smiling. She brought her hand up to massage her sore face and winced when she felt the large bump that rested on her cheek. Dimeria was instantly reminded of the White Walker that had struck her and couldn't help but think of Jon. It had only been a week at least since she had left; she wondered what was going on there. Did they miss her, or did they simply continue on with their lives? She looked around at her surroundings and felt a humbling feeling rest upon her shoulders. They probably did not miss her; after all, she was only one person in such a large world…she had just never known how large it was.

"And who do we have here?" A voice sounded.

Dimeria spun quickly and found herself facing 4 men, four **armed **men.

"Now what's a pretty girl like you doing out in the woods by herself?" One of them asked.

"Probably running from her husband, look at the nasty bruise on her face." Another laughed pointing at her cheek.

Dimeria said nothing, but glared harshly, bringing ugly smirks upon their faces.

"How about you come with us…" One said while coming forward to grab her.

On instinct, she drew her sword from its sheath and pointed it at his throat. The man backed away with raised arms, but still kept a grin on his face.

"This one's got fire, she does!" He said to his other 3 comrades. They laughed along with him and one man, presumably their leader, said:

"Disarm her, but don't hurt her…we wouldn't want to ruin that pretty face of hers."

A twinkle in Dimeria's blue eyes shone brightly, how she loved to battle! She brought her sword away from the first one's throat and began circling around, never turning her back on her three enemies. The man to her right lunged then and she easily deflected, a smile coming to her face. She continued spinning to her right and then swung downwards on his weapon, pointing it straight to the ground. Using her right leg, she stomped on the man's hand causing him to drop his blade and she kicked it away. He gripped his hand in pain and she proceeded to use the handle of her sword to pound him on the back of his head, knocking him unconscious.

Her horse had since then tried to bolt, but the fourth man; the one not engaged in fighting, stopped it and calmed it down.

"Impressive…" One of the men still facing her said. The next two came at her simultaneously, so she dropped down and tumbled in between them. She quickly recovered and with their momentum still moving forward, she kicked one of them in the back of his knee knocking him flat on his face. Once again, she pounded the handle of her weapon on the back of his head and he, too, was unconscious.

The third man, completely enraged at how easily she was fighting them, ran at her furiously with a battle cry escaping his lips. Almost laughing at how ridiculous he looked, Dimeria stepped to the side and lifted her foot out, tripping the man. One last time she brought the handle of her blade down upon his head.

She shook her head and laughed, forgetting about the fourth man.

"That was quite a show." He said to her back. She quickly turned around with her sword held before her defensively. He also had his sword drawn by now.

"I must say I'm a little disappointed…that was almost way too easy." Dimeria said.

"I suppose I'll have to train more warriors." He said to her. "I should introduce myself…Theon Greyjoy, of House Greyjoy."

"I'm not exactly sorry to say that I don't care for who you are, I suspect I'll never see you again." Dimeria replied bitterly. Not only did Dimeria not care who he was, but also she really had no clue. Names of houses and nobles meant nothing to her, but of course, he didn't know that; no one knew who she was.

"And why is that?"

"Because I plan to disarm you just as I have your men and then be on my way. It would be much easier for you if you would just let me pass." She said with a smirk.

"Ah, but I care to know who you are. You are quite a beautiful sight and amazing to watch fight...and that white streak of hair, where on earth did that come from?!"

_That's what I'm trying to figure out…_ She thought to herself angrily.

"The men back at camp would love to lay eyes on you, or perhaps just lay on you. Although I can't blame them, I would love to do the same." He smiled dangerously at her and Dimeria felt herself flush in anger.

"I don't think so." She said hatefully as she lunged at him. They exchanged several blows, neither of them gaining any advantage. This Theon man was clearly more skilled than his companions. They backed away from each other once more, both eyeing one another carefully. Dimeria realized that her advantage was her speed, if she could find an opening; she knew she would be able to disarm him and get away.

"You must tell me where you've trained, I've never seen a woman fight like you." He taunted her.

"It's a private place, only the best are welcome." She lied. Truthfully, anyone could go to The Wall, but she felt as if she should keep everything about herself hidden.

"Are you sure you don't want to tell me your name before I capture you?" He asked her, faking sweetness.

"Positive." She said almost growling.

"Pity."

She readied herself to fight Theon once more, but instead felt the handle of a sword pound into **her** head and her head immediately became dizzy and light. Trying to overcome the immense weight that was clouding over her mind, she fell to her knees and tried to steady herself. She looked up and saw a smirking Theon standing over her.

And then she descended into darkness.

* * *

_**AGH! So Dimeria has finally left The Wall and is now in the clutches of Theon Greyjoy…hmmm.**_

_**I hope you guys liked this one and thank you to everyone who has favorited and reviewed! PLEASE let me know what you think and leave reviews! Until next time…**_


	9. Chapter 10

_**A/N: FORTY FOLLOWERS! I know that doesn't seem like a lot, but it makes me happy. Thanks so much for the favorites and thank you to **__**the-black-feathers **__**and**__** guest**__** for reviewing!**_

_** I hope you enjoy this next part**_

* * *

Her head throbbed immensely, she hadn't felt such pain since she slipped up during her training with Jeor and he hit her in the head with a wooden sword. She groaned slightly and felt her head roll about on her shoulders. She felt the steady pace of the trotting hooves of her horse beneath her and the warm breath of someone behind her. She let her head tip back onto their chest; just to be sure she wasn't imagining things. Sure enough, she felt the sturdy metal of a chest plate on the back of her head.

"Ah, you're awake." She heard a familiar taunting voice behind her. "Just in time too, we've arrived at camp."

Ignoring the stabbing pain in her head, she forced herself to look at her surroundings. Hundreds of tents were set up; all bearing flags adorned with wolves, men from the north if she remembered correctly. Black spots still clouded her vision, but she blinked them away. Many men stopped and stared attentively as the horse walked by. Dimeria was certainly accustomed to the stares of men, but this felt different. She was no longer in the security of Castle Black, the only home she had ever known. No, she was captured by men she had never seen before and it seemed as though they could see right through her. She straightened her spine and forced a brave look on her face. She certainly didn't feel brave though; she felt insecure, anxious, and scared…definitely scared. Dimeria had fallen under the impression that her quest would be easy and swift; how completely wrong she was. She swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat and held her head high; these men would never know how she truly felt, not if she had a say.

The man behind her brought the horse to a stop and dismounted. Dimeria looked down and felt disgust rush through as she saw it was Theon that had been behind her. She glared down at him as he offered his assistance to help her off the horse. She would have completely rejected, but seeing as her hands were bound behind her back, she didn't have much of a choice. He placed his hands on her waist and couldn't help but smirk as he felt her tense her muscles, a man obviously had never touched her.

"I must say, I never thought it would be so difficult to capture a woman before. You seemed to put up a fight even when you were knocked out." Theon said to her as she touched the ground.

"Perhaps we will have a rematch one day. A fight where you will not have the assistance of your incompetent men." She said with a smirk.

He couldn't help but chuckle at her remark. Even in the hands of the enemy, this one would not go down easily. He pushed her along towards the largest tent in the encampment. She gazed curiously at the guards who stopped Theon before letting them in.

"We captured her in the forest, although she put up quite a fight." He gestured back to his 3 comrades who cautiously kept their distance. A sly grin found its way onto her face and she felt a surge of pride enter her chest.

The guard nodded his consent before casting a sidelong glance at Dimeria. As she entered the tent she saw at least a dozen people leaning over a large table in the center of the space. They all seemed to be fussing over a map on the table that was covered with small pieces in the shapes of wolves and lions. Her interest piqued, she peered over the shoulder of the man at the head of the table. She saw that there were many more lion figurines than there were wolves and raised her brows wanting to know more.

"Hm, you all seem outnumbered by lions…that could be problematic." She said drawing everyone's attention towards her.

They all quickly turned and drew their swords, ready to attack their intruder. She felt annoyance bubble within and said,

"Oh, calm down…my hands are already bound." She said impudently.

They replaced their weapons and gazed at her suspiciously. Dimeria placed a nonchalant expression on her face, but on the inside she felt as if her stomach was twisting into knots. Holding her breath, she held up her chin boldly.

"What is going on, Greyjoy?" The young man at the head of the table asked. He ran his hand through his curly auburn hair and sighed audibly. He looked young, but it seemed as if his experiences had aged him greatly. His blue eyes seemed tired and dark circles encompassed his lower lids.

"Well, the boys and I were doing our patrols like you told us to and that's where we saw her. Not really sure what she was doing, she was…cheering or something."

Dimeria bit her lip and felt her cheeks turn hot. She hadn't thought anyone would have seen her shouting for joy; that was a stupid mistake.

"Anyway, she was by herself so we thought that…we should uh, well…" Theon paused knowing that most of the people present didn't approve of his promiscuous ways.

"Well, ya know."

The young man rolled his blue eyes and waved his hands for Theon to continue.

"So we went up to her not expecting any real struggle, but we got one. She disarmed the others I was with like it was nothing…incredible for a girl, really. If it weren't for one of the guys waking up and knocking her out, she would have gotten away."

"Ah, so you admit I had you beat." Dimeria interrupted with an arrogant grin. Theon raised his brows and tilted his head as if Dimeria's comment only proved his point of how fierce she was.

A large man grunted to the side. He had a thick peppered beard and what looked like crazed eyes to Dimeria.

"What're ya going to do with her, Robb?" He asked with a gruff voice.

"Robb? Robb Stark?" Dimeria interjected.

The man with curly auburn hair and regarded her curiously. This girl was certainly from the north, but he had never seen her before in his life; how did she know him?

"Yes…" He said slowly.

"How do you know of him, girl!?" She large man shouted loudly at her. The man she assumed was Robb calmed him down before turning to her again.

"Lord Umber, calm yourself…well?" Robb inquired.

"I know your brother, Jon Snow…he spoke about you to me."

"Jon Snow has taken the Black. He's a Night's Watchman at The Wall, you cannot know him." Robb told her.

"I can actually…that was my home."

"Your home? You were raised on The Wall?" Robb asked with a stunned look on his face.

Many comments arose from the other men in the tent, doubting her claim. Theon was the first ask her a direct question:

"How could you have been raised on The Wall, the men their cannot father children."

"I am a bastard child. The Lord Commander found me when I was a baby as he was picking up convicts to take the Oath."

Everyone looked at her incredulously. Dimeria didn't blame them, now that she heard her own story aloud, it sounded quite strange.

"Look, I have never taken the vows that everyone else takes at The Wall. That's why I was able to leave." She said desperately. Fear had wiggled its way into her mind, frightening her into thinking that the men were going to send her straight back to Castle Black. She began twisting her hands in their binds, wishing she was free of them.

"And where exactly are you going?" Robb Stark asked her.

Dimeria sighed greatly then, deciding she wasn't going to let these men boss her around. She stretched her arms as best she could and said with great exaggeration:

"Oh, I would love to tell you, but these binds are quite uncomfortable. I can't bring myself to think through the pain!"

Robb Stark stifled an irritated sigh, but didn't bother to hide rolling his eyes. He nodded at Theon who had been chuckling at her remark to cut her binds.

Dimeria smiled sweetly at him, bringing another amused smirk to Theon's face. This girl was definitely putting on a show for him. After stretching out her arms, she continued with her story.

"I was heading south before your poorly trained men attacked me." She said disrespectfully. Theon scoffed at her remark, but made no move to argue; he knew better than anyone that the 3 other men fought awfully.

"Aye, so you're siding with the Lannisters then!" The man called Lord Umber accused her.

"My loyalty lies with no one, but myself!" She shouted at him. Anger coursed throughout her body and she felt her throat tighten up with resentment. These men had no idea who she was (and neither did she) and they had the nerve to accuse her of things she had no knowledge of. Her cold blue eyes bore into the men, daring them to anger her even more. She knew she needed to explain herself, but she didn't trust these men; she didn't want to tell them what it was that she was after.

"I'm heading south for information. I have no loyalty to any army in whatever war you're fighting. Please, just let me go." She pleaded with them.

Robb Stark almost seemed to consider it for a moment, but the girl intrigued him. What information could she be looking for? He had noticed earlier that she had no knowledge of what the figurines on the map symbolized, perhaps she was just looking to inform herself. In that case, she wouldn't be that dangerous. Then again, she could just be lying and trying to get back to the Lannister encampment, with that being a possibility, it was extremely hazardous to release her. Robb sighed once again; he seemed to be doing that a lot more these days.

"What is your name?" He asked her.

No answer. Dimeria narrowed her eyes slightly, letting him know that she wasn't going to tell him. She mentally rolled her eyes at herself, how could she have been so reckless? Cheering in the middle of the woods? She wasn't at The Wall anymore; she couldn't afford to be so careless like that.

Robb continued to stare at her intently. Her blue eyes reminded him of large sapphires, deep and hypnotizing. The longer he stared, the more lost he got in them.

"My Lord?" Lord Umber stole Robb's attention way from the girl, allowing him to think clearly again.

"Set up a tent for her, station guards at the entrance…do not let her leave." He said sternly to Theon.

Dimeria's eyes widened in fury and she jerked violently as Theon quickly pinned her arms behind her back.

"You can't do this! Just let me go!" She screamed.

Her angry protests did nothing to loosen Theon's tight grip as he nodded at another guard to bind her wrists again, for he knew she would try to make a break for it. Tears rimmed her eyes, but she forced them back; she didn't want to show weakness.

As she waited for the men to set up her tent, she finally managed to calm herself down. Theon still had a vice-like grip on her arms and she felt as if her blood was boiling. Once the tent was up, he forcefully shoved her in there and laughed as she stumbled. With an evil grin he left the tent and reminded the guards to not let her leave the tent.

Dimeria angrily kicked over a chair that had been left at a small table. She sat on the bed and painfully rubbed at her wrists, which had been rubbed raw from the tightly wrapped ropes. She scolded herself for her ignorance. She should've known that her journey wasn't going to be easy, yet she didn't prepare herself for any struggles, and now Robb Stark's army captured her.

She tried to think back to Jon's words of his half-brother. Why was Robb even out here for battle? Again, she scolded herself. She should have at least educated herself with the events of the outside world, but she didn't. She never cared for politics or what other people were doing; she only cared about what concerned her. Apparently that's not how the outside world worked.

Dimeria forced herself to take calming breaths. She could get out of this, she could. She just needed to be smart and she needed some time. She was only one prisoner, surely they wouldn't care that much if she managed to escape. She looked up as she heard the entrance of her tent flap open. She did her best to hide her surprise when she saw that it was Robb Stark.

Once again Robb found himself lost in Dimeria's blue eyes as she looked up at him. He had his mother's Tully blue eyes, but she had eyes that sparkled brighter than stars in the night sky; he couldn't bring himself to stop looking at them. She stood then, with a suspicious look on her face.

"I, uh-I just wanted to tell you that…you're not my prisoner. I won't be treating you like I usually would our prisoners." He told her, bringing his mind back to reality.

She raised her brows questioningly, not believing a word he was saying.

"If I'm not your prisoner, why won't you let me go?"

"I can't risk it. I don't know what you might tell the Lannisters if I let you go."

"I won't tell them anything! I don't even know what I would tell them, I know nothing of what is going on!" She yelled with frustration.

Confusion showed plainly on Robb's face. How did she not know? He made a mental note to ask her of her life on The Wall. Her life certainly must have been interesting. No mother, no septa…she would have been the only female at Castle Black, he realized.

_No wonder she is so guarded._ He thought to himself.

"If you need anything, just ask one of the guards outside. They'll come and get me." He said to her.

Dimeria closed her eyes in disappointment. She tried telling herself she was lucky; Robb could have her chained up to a post like a normal prisoner. A thought struck her then and she quickly called to Robb to come back.

"Where is my pack?" She asked him urgently.

"I'm not going to give you your weapons back." He said shaking his head.

"I don't want my weapons," she snapped at him, "I have things in my pack and they're special to me."

He shrugged his shoulders, not understanding what it was she was getting at. She sighed and said,

"Could you just make sure your brutes of men don't do anything to my pack?"

"I can bring you your bag, but I have to keep your weapon." He said sternly.

"Fine." She growled more than spoke.

He turned to leave and Dimeria thought of something else she needed. She called him back and he turned with irritation clear on his face. He noticed that she had suddenly gotten very sheepish and she clenched her fists nervously. He softened his visage and waited for her to speak, she was obviously uncomfortable and he felt badly for her.

"I…well, I promised your brother I would send a raven when I could. I expected to be travelling at this time, but since I am not… do you think I could write to him?"

Robb felt the corners of his mouth turn upwards. She obviously cared for Jon and he wondered what type of relationship they had.

"Only if you do something for me." He said with a slight smile.

She furrowed her eyebrows and narrowed her eyes again.

"Will you tell me your name?" He asked sincerely.

Relief flushed through her heart through at his request. She was worried he would ask her to do something she didn't want to do. She shuddered at the thought of someone touching her in that sense. Dimeria was never fazed when the men at Castle Black taunted her, but she was absolutely terrified of what would happen if she were forced to pleasure a man sexually, she had never had any sort of relationship of that type. At The Wall, she had been able to defend herself, but she was a prisoner here…they could do whatever they wanted to her, technically.

"Dimeria."

Robb smiled a smile that seemed to sparkle brighter than diamonds.

"What, no surname?" He asked kindly.

"I have a surname." Dimeria replied coolly. "I just…"

"Say no more, you do not have to tell me." He said continuing to smile at her. She smiled back at him as she realized his kindness reminded her of Jon. It was fitting that they were brothers, even if it was just by half.

"I will have someone bring you ink and parchment tomorrow morning along with your pack. You should get some rest." Robb said gently.

"Thank you, Robb-Uh, Lord…Stark." She said trying to remember her manners. That was one of the few things that Aemon had bothered to teach her that usually a Septa would have taught.

"Robb is fine." He reassured her with another smile.

Dimeria returned the smile and nervously tucked the loose strand of white hair behind her ear. Robb stared at it curiously, noticing it for the first time. Dimeria bit her lip, conscious of Robb's gaze. Instead of saying anything though, he just bid her good night and quietly walked out.

Walking to back to her bed, she sat down and yawned heavily. It had been several nights since she had gotten a full night's sleep, she intended on making the best of her captivity and catching up on her rest. She released her hair from the messy braid it was in and laid back, letting her mind wander. It drifted back to Castle Black; the white snow covering every inch of ground, the wooden ramps thumping with every footstep, the long ride up to her post on The Wall; it all came back to her like the cold wind that used to constantly blow in her face.

She felt her eyelids drooping heavily as she remembered the good times, though they were few, she had at Castle Black. She always enjoyed training the recruits, the rush of superiority she felt when they tried to snap at her. Most of her memories included Jon, though. She laughed and smiled to herself as she rolled over on her side.

_Apparently I won't be rid of the Starks as easily as I thought._ She said to herself.

Her smile didn't leave her face as she thought of the words Jon said to her as he described his family. He loved them so much; she remembered thinking how hard it must have been to leave them. She recalled how close Jon said he was to Robb, how it really felt like they were actual brothers. Jon had told Dimeria so much of Robb and now she found herself in the curious position of actually meeting him; although she regretted the terms in which they had stumbled upon each other. She weirdly felt as if she knew Robb already.

She smiled to herself again before she let sleep claim her as she realized there was one thing Jon never mentioned about Robb.

He never mentioned how handsome Robb was.

_**Now Dimeria has met the infamous Robb Stark! **_

_**Hope you guys liked this chapter, remember to leave reviews…they motivate me to write faster!**_

_**Until next time...**_


	10. Chapter 11

_**A/N: Here's the next part! Thank you so much for the new favorites and follows, you all are awesome! A special thanks to **__**ratherbereading125**__** for reviewing, I love hearing from you guys!**_

* * *

Dimeria woke to rays of sunshine streaming on her face. The sun was already high in sky; she had certainly slept for many more hours than she normally would have. She sat up and stretched her limbs; releasing the tension from her body and feeling warm blood flow all over. She looked to the side and smiled when she saw that Robb Stark had already brought her materials to write a letter to Jon and her pack. With a sense of urgency, she jumped from her bed and checked her bag to make sure all was in order. She saw her dragon eggs and felt very much reassured and even thankful that Robb hadn't let anything happen to her belongings. She carefully removed the shimmering eggs from her pack and gazed at them longingly; she desperately wished they would hatch, but she knew it was impossible. With a heavy drop of her heart, she placed the 2 eggs on the small desk along with the ink and parchment.

She sat at the desk and bit her lip in contemplation. She wanted to tell everything of her journey to Jon, but could she trust Robb's men enough to not read her letter?

_Of course I can't… _She thought to herself, but what other choice did she have?

She grabbed the quill and readied herself to write.

_** Dear Jon,**_

_**I never expected to be writing to you this soon, I figured I would still be riding hard and fast to the south, but I fear you were right about me:**_

_** I know nothing of the outside world.**_

_**Do you remember all the times you told me about your family? Well, I find myself in the unique position of having met your brother, Robb. I was no more than 3 days ride from Castle Black and a few of his patrol men found me alone in the forest. Theon Greyjoy, your ward, I believe. They wanted to take me back to camp with them to—well, I believe you understand, but I did not go without a fight. Unfortunately, one of his men, whom I believed to be unconscious, came up behind me and knocked me out; I woke up and found myself in your brother's encampment. **_

_** I do not know why he has an army or whom it is he is fighting; I don't particularly care, but they fear that if they let me go, I will go to their enemy and betray them. I'm not sure why they say I'll 'betray' them, I'm not loyal to anyone except myself, but they are keeping me captive. Your brother, Robb, says I am not his prisoner, but I feel as if I am. I am currently being kept under constant watch so that I cannot leave. **_

_** Do not worry for me though; your brother treats me well…he does not harm me like I fear the others wish to do. His kindness reminds me so much of you, in the few moments I have spoken with him, I can already tell he is very honorable. Even though you are not fully related, you both truly seem like brothers. I miss you dearly and I hope that the next time I write to you, I will be further south and closer to finding my parents. **_

_** Pray to the Seven for me, for I pray for you.**_

_**Yours truly,**_

_** Dimeria**_

She put her quill down and massaged her aching hand as she read over her letter. She rolled her eyes at how affectionate she sounded, she normally would never reveal that side of herself, but she knew she could trust Jon. After sealing her letter, she went outside her tent to ask one of the guards to find Robb. The sunlight assaulted her eyes and she squinted them tightly as she tried to adjust to the harsh light change.

"Where do you think you're going?" The guard to her right asked her as he stepped in front of her to block her path.

She looked up while shielding her eyes; the sun had never shone this bright at The Wall, the clouds blocked everything.

"Will you get Robb-um, Lord Stark for me…I need him to send this for me." She told the guard.

"Lord Stark is busy, I will deliver the letter for you later." He said reaching out.

She quickly snatched it away from his grasp with a stern look on her face. The guard eyed her curiously and continued to hold his hand out.

"I would prefer to give it to him myself." She said boldly.

An amused look could be seen under the guard's helm. He looked at the guard behind Dimeria who was also softly chuckling.

"What? You don't trust me with your letter, little lady?"

"Not one bit." Dimeria said without missing a beat. "Where is his tent, I can take the letter to him myself." She said starting forward.

The guard quickly shot his arm out and pushed her back.

"I am not permitted to let you leave this tent without someone watching you."

"Then come with me." She said impatiently.

The guard was beginning to get irritated, much to Dimeria's amusement. Not wanting to give in to the impudent girl, the guard looked for an out so she couldn't get what she wanted.

"Lord Stark told us there must be 2 guards present at this tent at all times."

"Then find one of the many amateur guards here and have him take your position." She said raising her voice.

"Amateur?" The guard said glowering at her.

He grabbed Dimeria's upper arm and raised his other hand, poised to strike her face. Dimeria did not back down, but stood straighter and looked him straight in the eyes; she refused to show fear to anyone. With a loud smack, the guard hit her across the cheek in the same spot where the White Walker struck her. The wound had finally begun to heal, but she now felt the familiar throbbing and the beginnings of a welt forming on her cheek again. She rubbed her hand across her cheek and felt moisture; apparently the guard had split her skin.

Still feeling defiant, she looked at the guard with a smirk on her face.

"Is that the best you can do?" She taunted him.

"Well why don't I just show you my best!" The guard yelled at her.

With his other hand clenched in a fist, he punched her other cheek, knocking her to the ground in a heap. He loomed over her and kicked her in the ribs. Dimeria curled up defensively and bit her lip trying to hold back the whimpers, which were desperately trying to escape her lips.

"Philip, she's had enough!"

Dimeria heard the other guard speak in her defense and felt alleviation as he moved to stop Philip from beating her.

"What do you think you're doing?!" A voice shouted at Philip and the other guard.

Dimeria looked up to see Theon Greyjoy rushing to her with an angry look upon his face. Theon stood in between her throbbing body and the 2 guards defensively.

"I believe Lord Stark made it very clear that no one was to lay a hand on her." Theon scolded them.

"The bitch was mouthing me, Ser." Philip said rather breathlessly.

Dimeria stood up painfully and glared at the guard. She stumbled from the pain and felt Theon's arm quickly go around her shoulders in order to steady her. She pushed away from Theon and stared at the guard dangerously.

"All I wanted was to see Lord Stark so he could send a letter for me." She displayed the letter she still clutched in her hands. "Your idiot guard wouldn't get him for me. I even told him to guide me to his tent since none of you trust me alone, but he still wouldn't budge!" She shouted defensively.

"I would watch your tongue if I were you!" Philip growled at her.

"Enough!" Theon yelled. "You are not to lay another hand on her or I will have **your** hand!" He then turned to Dimeria who had not released the scowl from her face.

Theon looked at her meaning to scold her, but he could not bring himself to do it. He surprisingly liked the blue-eyed warrior and the spirit she possessed. Theon knew the guard was mad only because it was a girl who had the nerve to make him look like a fool. Perhaps Dimeria had some fault in the matter, but he rather enjoyed the way she perturbed the other men, of course, only when it wasn't at his expense.

"Come with me." He told Dimeria, pulling her forward. She violently jerked out of his grasp, bringing an amused smirk to his face. She quickened her pace as she tried to take even strides with him. Dimeria struggled with this task, for she still felt shooting pains through her ribs and even worse throbs in her face. She wiped the blood from her cheek and winced quite noticeably.

Theon led her to Robb's tent and held open the flap for her. Just like the night before, other men surrounded him and they seemed to be in an intense conversation. They all glanced up at the sound of someone entering and Dimeria saw Robb's blue eyes widen in surprise. He strode over to her quickly and asked,

"What happened? Are you okay?" He brought his hand up to inspect her swollen cheek. Dimeria turned away from him, refusing to make eye contact. Robb lowered his hand and regarded Theon.

"Theon?" He asked.

"Do not station Philip to guard her tent anymore." Theon said as he shook his head.

Robb nodded beginning to understand what had happened. Still avoiding his gaze, Dimeria handed the letter to Robb.

"What is this?" He asked her.

"My letter to Jon. I was hoping you would send it to him." She mumbled.

"And this is why your guard beat you?" Robb asked.

"Partly."

Robb sighed greatly and felt anger tingle on the ends of his nerves. The swollen lumps were beginning to grow, tainting her beautiful features. Robb had never seen anyone so gorgeous before and it annoyed him to know someone had laid a hand on her. He cared for Dimeria even though he hardly knew her.

"I will have it sent immediately." He reassured her softly.

Finally looking up at him, she offered him a small smile. Robb felt his breath catch in his throat as he looked into her alluring blue orbs. Theon seemed to notice it too, for he raised his brows in amusement and smirked knowingly at Robb. Dimeria quickly turned on her heel. Theon gave one more look to Robb and followed closely behind her.

Robb ran a hand through his hair and rejoined the other Lords at the table. For the rest of the morning, Robb could not his mind off of what he would do to punish the guard who had struck Dimeria.

…

The next morning, Dimeria ached horribly from the beating she had taken. Audibly groaning, she rose from her bed and changed into one of the other pairs of clothes she had packed. The trousers she had been wearing were dirty and torn, her tunic in the same condition. The day passed by slowly for her. After changing, she managed to convince her guards that since she was not a real prisoner, she should be allowed more privileges, such as taking walks around the encampment. She walked to the edge of the woods, staying just outside. She stroked the bark, thinking how wonderful it would be to be riding her horse freely; with the wind hitting her face, her hair blowing back, and her heart pounding in her chest.

As she returned to the tents, she heard the harmonious ringing of clashing steel. Dimeria bid the guards to lead her to the sound where she found several of the guards training. She watched with growing interest, but mainly amusement as she watched the unseasoned fighters stumble about clumsily. A loud cackle escaped her lips as one man fell face first into the ground with his sword falling beside him.

"Do you think you could do better?" One of her escorting guards asked her.

"I know she could." Theon Greyjoy said, walking up beside her. Dimeria gazed longingly at the sword on the ground. She wanted to prove all of the men wrong.

"Do you think you could train them?" Theon asked her. After giving him a questioningly look, she bit through the pain in her ribs and grasped the fallen sword from the ground. She threateningly aimed the tip towards the man who had still been left standing in the training grounds. She seemed to channel the same attitude she used when training new recruits at Castle Black.

"Sword fighting is a work of art," She said circling around the man, "almost like painting a picture. Treat your sword like a paintbrush, each cut like a stroke of a brush."

She thrust forwards to the other man, who quickly blocked it away.

"Your sword is an extension of your arm, when you pierce another foe, you should be able to feel it run throughout your entire body." Dimeria spun to the right then and drew a thin line of blood from her opponent's left arm. He jerked away in pain and then quickly lunged at her in anger.

"No. First mistake. Your enemy is your canvas, as you make fine strokes with paint; you make fine cuts with your blade. Do not let anger distract you and wear your body out. Keep your core tight and your actions quick."

With movements so quick, she confronted the man head on, swinging, hacking, and twisting.

"It is not until you make your killing blow…" She struck the other man's sword so hard that it knocked him off balance. She kicked his weapon from his hand and spun so that her blade was aimed at his throat. "…that you strike with all your might."

The familiar stabs of pain had returned to her ribs, but it rested at the back of her mind, for she was still energized from the thrill of the fight. Laughter and applause erupted around her, filling her heart with a sort of arrogant pride.

"Well done!" Theon shouted to her.

She smirked at him and said, "How about that rematch?" She asked him.

"Perhaps another time." He answered with a teasing grin.

Dimeria rolled her eyes and turned to help up the fallen guard, only to spin directly into Robb Stark. She gazed into his sky blue eyes and felt her heart skip a beat. Her breath caught in her throat, forming a small lump that she forced herself to swallow.

"That's impressive," Robb, said down to her, "you learned all that at The Wall?"

Dimeria nodded almost imperceptibly and blinked her eyes multiple times to clear her mind.

"What else have you learned?"

She bit her lip and twisted her white strand of hair around her finger. Why was she so nervous around him?

"My commander also trained me with a bow and arrow. I must say I devoted most of my time with a sword..." She said trying to regain her composure.

"Show me." He said.

She furrowed her eyebrows suspiciously, but followed him to a rack containing bows and quivers of arrows. Finding the shooting range, she notched an arrow in the bow and aimed down her sight.

_Thud!_

The arrow stuck to the right of the bull's eye…not a bad shot, but nothing to be impressed by. Robb paced around to her backside and stared at the target.

"Again." He ordered her.

Suppressing an annoyed sigh, she notched another arrow and drew the line back to her swollen cheek. Robb stayed behind her, inspecting her form. He stepped close to her and aimed down the sight along with her, causing Dimeria to bite her lip in anxiety.

"Relax your bow arm." He told her.

Dimeria did as she was told and released the arrow. With a loud thump, the arrow struck the target even closer to the center…a much better shot than her first. She widened her eyes in surprise at how much better it was. She sighed deeply, suddenly feeling inferior to Robb.

"One more time." He said behind her. Dimeria shuddered from his breath hitting the back of her neck and shakily drew back another arrow. She repeated the same form he had just instructed to use and she was just about to release the arrow when he said:

"Keep your core tight." He then placed his hands over her waist, slightly pushing against her stomach muscles and causing her to jerk suddenly. The arrow went flying beyond the target from her sudden movement and she quickly scrambled away from Robb.

Discomfort and embarrassment heated her cheeks. She desperately hoped the bruises she had acquired hid the redness she knew was filling her skin.

"What is it? What's wrong?" He asked with concern in his voice.

"It's nothing, it's just…my ribs are still tender from, uh…yesterday." She said hiding the real source of her discomfort. Dimeria bit her lip nervously, a habit she seemed to have acquired ever since she left Castle Black.

Robb suspected the reason why she had jumped so suddenly, but he said nothing of it, noticing the way she shied away from him.

"I think I should return to my tent." She mumbled and then quickly scurried away. She grasped her side in order to make her lie as to why she moved away from Robb more believable. She was in the heart of the encampment now, with plenty of the men running and milling about. Feeling more secure, she slowed her pace down and took a deep breath.

_Why does he affect me this way?_ She asked herself angrily.

Robb followed closely behind, only returning to her side when she had slowed down.

"Why did you do that?" He asked her.

"Do what?" She replied innocently.

"Don't play stupid. I know you're much smarter than that." He stepped in front of her forcing her to come to a stop.

She stared back at him, mentally shooting daggers with her eyes.

"I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." He muttered quietly.

_Oh, by the Gods he knows!_ Her mind screamed at herself.

"Uncomfortable? What do you mean?" She asked trying to hide her feelings.

Robb furrowed his brows at her disappointedly. "Don't try to spare my feelings…I thought you were a better person than to lie."

This seemed to rub Dimeria the wrong way.

"You don't know me, so don't try to pretend that you do." She said bitterly and trying to ignore the part he said about his 'feelings.'

He narrowed his eyes at her, ready to unleash the anger that had suddenly been boiling up within him.

"Lord Stark!" A soldier said running up to him. "Your mother has returned!"

Robb's eyes softened immediately. He looked back down at Dimeria, but she had already begun to make her way past him to her own tent. Coming up behind her, he grabbed her by the elbow and dragged her along with him.

"What are you doing?! Let go of me!" She said trying to wrench her arm from his grasp.

"You're coming with me. I think it would be good for you to meet my mother…maybe it'll douse the infuriating attitude you have."

Before she could argue with him, Robb pulled back the flap of his tent and gave her a little shove forwards. The same men that had always seemed to be in Robb's tent were there again, but were accompanied by charming woman with fiery red hair. The woman turned towards her and Dimeria could tell from her eyes that this was indeed Robb's mother. Barely giving Dimeria a second glance, Robb's mother looked behind her to see her son entering the tent.

"Robb." She said, emotion clear in her voice.

"Mother." He said with the same tone.

Dimeria moved to the back of the tent, feeling out of place with the loving embrace they shared.

_I wonder if my mother will hug me like that…_ She said to herself.

"What news do you have?" She heard Robb ask his mother urgently.

"As you know," she began, "I captured the imp as I was making my way back to Winterfell from King's Landing. I took him to The Vale for my sister to make judgment."

The mention of the imp caught Dimeria's attention. "The imp? You mean Tyrion Lannister?" She said craning her neck.

Before his mother could answer, Robb interrupted to make proper introductions.

"Mother, this is Dimeria. A few of the scouts found her in the forest."

"A spy for the Lannisters?"

"No, she uh…well,"

"I was headed south from The Wall." Dimeria interjected, finishing Robb's sentence.

"The Wall? What were you doing there?"

Dimeria sighed, beginning to get annoyed with having to explain her background.

"That is her home, Mother." Robb said picking up on Dimeria's negative vibes.

"Interesting…" His mother said, tilting her head to the side. "I am Lady Catelyn Stark, it is a pleasure to meet you Dimeria." She said holding out her hand.

"And you as well, Lady Stark." Dimeria said, barely remembering her manners. "Please, continue with your tale. I did not mean to interrupt." She muttered quietly.

Lady Stark smiled kindly at her before continuing. Dimeria listened intently as she listened to Lady Stark's retelling of her account with Tyrion. Apparently Tyrion had escaped punishment by demanding for a champion to fight in his defense. Dimeria silently cheered for the welfare of the imp; she had always like him and appreciated how honest he was with her.

"Then we no longer hold any leverage over them." Lord Umbler said morosely.

"And they hold all of it over us…we need to get my father and sisters back." Robb said more to himself than to anyone else in the room.

The rest of the men began throwing out ideas on how to gain an advantage over the Lannister armies; Dimeria sat in the back letting her mind wander.

"They outnumber us, we cannot hope to overcome them on the battlefield that easily." Robb said, countering Lord Umber's idea to strike hard and fast.

Dimeria rolled her eyes, growing tired of their arguing.

"Why don't you just take something of theirs?" She offered them nonchalantly. They all turned and regarded her curiously.

"What do you mean?" Robb asked her.

"Well, they have your family and you want them back. You have no hope of defeating their armies to get your family back, so why don't you take something that they would want back if it were gone?" She was greeted by blank stares and she groaned at how dense they all were.

"That way you could possibly arrange a deal with them!" She threw her hands up, astounded with how stupid these people were. Apparently people only got dumber the further south of The Wall you went.

"Yes, that's brilliant!" Robb said, "and when we have our leverage, we can threaten them with anything!"

"And we can fool them, we can threaten them and say we have large armies…they would never attack us then or harm your family." Another man said.

"And they'll never know our true numbers." Lord Umber said mischievously.

"Ah, no. They actually might know your numbers." Dimeria said sheepishly.

Again, they all turned to look at her, this time with more irritation in their faces.

"And how would they know that?" Catelyn Stark asked, speaking for the first time in a while.

"I saw a scout as I was walking around the encampment this morning." She said carelessly.

"And you never thought to tell us!?" Theon Greyjoy shouted at her.

"It never came up in a conversation!" She yelled back.

Robb gritted his teeth almost grinding them to sand. He clenched his hands tightly until they turned red from all the blood rushing to them. Dimeria and Theon continued to argue back and forth, but it all passed through his ears like a raging waterfall: senseless and mostly just a bunch of noise.

"Enough!" Robb cried out. He silenced the bickering, but did not diminish the rage everyone was currently feeling.

"My lords, we will continue speaking of this later." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before making direct eye contact with Dimeria.

"Dimeria…"

"What?" She snapped venomously at him. And that's when Robb's dam broke.

"You are the most infuriating woman I've ever met! If you keep up your attitude I will have no choice, but to treat you as a real prisoner!"

Dimeria opened her mouth, more than ready to bite Robb's head off with words, but Robb didn't stop.

"Go to your tent…I'll speak with you about this later!"

She stared at him incredulously as she made her way to the front of the tent, she didn't want to spend another moment in Robb's presence.

"You cannot scold me as if you're my father!" She shouted.

"And how would know what a father's scolding sounds like? You are a bastard child."

The room fell silent and everyone's mouths dropped. Even Catelyn Stark raised her brows in surprise at her son's harsh words. A blade seemed to pierce through Dimeria's heart at the painful words, letting loose a river of emotions that she could no longer contain. She breathed heavily and stepped towards Robb, smacking him with such force that men in other tents could hear it. Her blue orbs glistened brightly with rage-filled tears and she turned on her heel, stomping out of the tent; not letting any tears fall until she was in the safety of her own tent.

No one made a move towards Robb as she slapped him, whether they wanted to say it or not, they believed Robb deserved it. The words were cruel and unexpected, even Theon Greyjoy thought Robb was completely out of line. Robb dismissed them quietly and they followed his orders, settling down in their own beds for the night. Robb felt the warm hand of his mother on his shoulder. He looked into her eyes, hoping to see comfort, but only saw disappointment. He was left alone in his tent, only hearing his bitter words towards Dimeria, and only feeling the numbing pain on his cheek down to his core from where she struck him.

* * *

_**So there you go! I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter, I feel as if it could have been better. Let me know what you think, remember to review…it makes me write faster!**_

_**Until next time…**_


	11. Chapter 12

_**A/N: 50+ followers…thank you so much guys! I hope you like this next part. It's not necessarily going to be written from Robb's POV, but it will be following his actions for the most part, rather than Dimeria's. Hope you enjoy!**_

_**Thanks to **__**NamikazeMia, the-black-feathers, and ZabuzasGirl**__** for reviewing the last chapter!**_

* * *

Robb regretted the words the second they left his mouth. He was just so angry; he couldn't stop them from coming out! And when Dimeria slapped him, it felt more like she was stabbing him through the heart. Tension filled the atmosphere as she stalked out and he knew his men were less than thrilled at the way he behaved. As soon as he dismissed them, they left the tent resembling a herd of stampeding horses. Robb didn't blame them though; he would have done the same thing if he were in their position. His mother was the last to leave and the disappointment in here eyes stung him almost as much as Dimeria's slap…

Almost.

_How could I have been so stupid?_ He scolded himself. He ran his hand over his cheek, feeling the numbed nerves on his face. His skin was almost cold to touch, but he knew there was a flaming red mark from her palm. He heaved a great sigh, almost groaning as he exhaled. This wasn't how the Lord of Winterfell should have been acting. Running a hand through his curly locks, he thought over his options. He should apologize to her; it's the right thing to do, the honorable thing to do. He shook his head. No, Dimeria wasn't one to so easily forgive someone...especially for the words he had said.

He had to fix things though; he would never forgive himself if he didn't attempt to mend things with Dimeria. She made him feel things he had never felt before. Every time he laid eyes on her he felt his heart flutter. He knew it was foolish to feel that way for someone he hardly knew, but he couldn't help it. If only Dimeria were more reigned in, not quite as…feisty. She was so much to handle at times and he often wondered what it was like for her commanders at Castle Black. He shook away his wandering thoughts and settled on his decision: he was going to apologize to Dimeria.

He walked to her tent swiftly, ignoring those who tried to speak with him.

"Is Lady Dimeria in her tent?" Robb asked one of the guards stationed outside her tent.

"She is, though judging from the sobs I can hear, I'm not so sure she's wanting to speak with anyone."

"I suspected as much." Robb mumbled to himself. "Thank you." He said getting ready to enter.

"My Lord?" The guard asked.

Robb stopped, impatiently tapping his foot as he waited for him to speak.

"Not to be disrespectful, but she is no lady…I'm not even sure she knows what a highborn is."

Robb set his jaw firm, offended on Dimeria's behalf.

"It is not **Lady** Dimeria's fault that she is uneducated. You would do well to remember that you are also no highborn citizen."

The guard visibly gulped and nodded, signaling he had gotten Robb's message. Without another word, Robb opened the flap to Dimeria's tent; bracing himself as well as he could for the wrath he knew she would bestow upon him. He was quite surprised at what he saw, though. On the floor beside her bed, was Dimeria with her knees pulled up to her chest and her head bowed down. Her shoulders were shaking as her body trembled with violent sobs. The sight made Robb's heart ache. Guilt pressed down on his body heavier than any armor he would ever wear.

"Dimeria?" Robb said quietly.

Dimeria's head shot up and she stood up quickly, replacing her sadness with anger.

"Get out," She screamed, "Get out!"

"Dimeria, I just…"

"Who do you think you are!?" She said interrupting him. "You have no right to try to command me as you did…and then say those words to me. You don't know who I am, how **dare** you speak to me like that!"

Robb felt his anger sizzling within him once more, but he held it back; this was the Dimeria he had been expecting.

"You are no better than the dishonorable swine back at The Wall!" She screamed at him.

Robb's eyes widened at the bite in her words. Honor. It was how Robb's father, Ned, lived his life and Robb was determined he would live his life the same way. But according to Dimeria, he wasn't doing so well. Trying to find a defense against the wound she had caused, he allowed himself to get angry once more.

"You are just so maddening, Dimeria!" He yelled at her. "Why couldn't you have just told someone…anyone about the scout you saw?"

"It is not my responsibility, I owe you no loyalty! It was one mistake, you act as if I've ruined your life!"

"That mistake could endanger everyone here! And it's not just the scout that bothers me, it's everything you've done since you've gotten here."

Dimeria scoffed at his words having no clue what it was he was getting at.

"You antagonize my men, you constantly distract them. I can't run an army that's too busy trying to deal with your antics!" He yelled.

"Then why don't you just let me go!?" She screamed.

Robb's shoulders slumped and he covered his face with his hands.

"Because…you've done just as much good as you have bad." He said finally getting control over his voice.

"What do you mean?" Dimeria asked, also calming down.

"I saw you training my men, you helped them greatly today. And, you're suggestion for a trade with the Lannisters…it was a great idea." He looked into Dimeria's eyes and immediately felt his anger dissipate. "You have a great mind for battle strategy."

Robb sighed in relief as he saw that Dimeria was managing to control her labored breathing. He looked concernedly at her ribs as she painfully ran a hand over them.

"Why do you want to leave so badly?" He asked her.

"You don't understand." She said quietly. She ran a hand through her hair and grabbed the white strand that always stuck out. He risked taking a step forward and spoke softly to her.

"Why don't you trust me, Dimeria?"

She didn't answer him, but continued to twist her hair and bite her lip.

_She's so guarded._ He thought to himself. Robb wanted to be the one she trusted, the one she could be honest with. He then realized that there was only one other person she hinted at being comfortable with…Jon Snow. He tried to put a smile on his face in order to ease the mood.

"You trust Jon…what did he do to earn your trust? Maybe I can do the same."

Dimeria laughed pitifully then. "Are you going to try to tell me that you're also a bastard child?"

He shrugged his shoulders and said, "If that's what it takes…" He walked closer to her and grabbed her hands. He was surprised that she actually didn't pull away from him.

"Dimeria," He said looking into her sapphire eyes, "I am a bastard child."

She laughed and finally pulled away, luckily not in anger. Robb felt his heart skip a beat as he looked at her joyful face. She smiled a smile that encompassed her entire face; reaching her eyes and making them sparkle more than they did before. He smiled along as he listened to her harmonious laugh. All too soon, it ended and she had a depressed look on her face again.

"You have a beautiful smile…you should do it more often." He said kindly.

He was afraid he had pushed the boundaries too far from the perplexed look on her face.

"No one's ever told me that." She muttered.

"Everyone thinks it. Before you started annoying my men, they couldn't stop saying how gorgeous they thought you were."

He smirked when she rolled her eyes at him. Robb inhaled deeply while he marveled at her gorgeous curves as she turned and walked over to her bed.

"And what do you think?" Dimeria asked him as she sat down.

Robb looked down and turned away, mirroring the same action Dimeria always did. Of course he thought she was beautiful, he'd be crazy if he didn't. But should he tell her that? He knew Dimeria was cunning; she could be luring him into a trap, but was she honestly that kind of person?

He didn't think so. She was spirited and sarcastic, not evil and conniving. Robb continued to nervously pace about her tent, still feeling the cold gaze she was giving him on his back.

"Well I—Are those dragon eggs?" He asked when his eyes regarded her desk.

He looked back to Dimeria and thought he saw a flicker of disappointment cross her eyes, but he couldn't tell for she quickly recovered her senses. Robb leaned over the small desk that held the 2 eggs and dared to pick one up. He never saw her coming, for before he knew it; Dimeria was at his side snatching the egg from his grasp. He eyed her quizzically as she held it tightly against her stomach.

"Yes, they're dragon eggs. They're uh…they're special to me." She muttered quietly.

Robb looked at the other dragon egg still sitting on the desk and took in every detail. It had a brighter hue of blue, while the one Dimeria still held had a silver tint. He found it hard to believe that he and his family had stumbled upon dire wolves several months ago, but that experience was nothing compared to 2 dragon eggs.

"You actually planned on taking these south?" He asked Dimeria with a disbelieving laugh.

He tried not to laugh out loud at the confused look on Dimeria's features, but he could not hold it back. In doing so, it only heightened her annoyance causing him to tightly purse his lips to reign in his entertainment.

"Why would that be a problem?" She asked defensively.

Robb's amusement quickly turned into incredulity at Dimeria's naïve nature.

"In the south, people would either raid your bags for a chance to have possession of them, or they would kill you."

"Why would they kill me?!" She blurted out.

Robb continued to stare skeptically at Dimeria's lack of knowledge.

"You really don't know anything of this world, do you?" He asked her.

He didn't mean the words rudely, but he felt badly when he saw Dimeria's face droop in sadness.

"It is not my fault." She said trying to keep her face passive.

"I never said it was."

"Could you…teach me?"

Robb smiled kindly and dared to grab her hand to lead her over to a chair. He sat her down and she looked up at him expectantly.

"There's quite a bit to tell."

…

Robb still felt as if he was flying in the clouds when he left Dimeria's tent. It was silly, really; all they did was talk. He told her everything ranging from Aegon the Conquerer to the demise of the Targaryen claim to the Iron Throne. Dimeria looked at him with awe as he gave her the large history lesson. He laughed when she seemed to take particular interest in the dragons that the Targaryens had, he had expected that though, what with her having her own dragon eggs.

"It's a shame they're all dead." Dimeria said solemnly.

"They were magnificent creatures, or so I've heard." Robb said, following her gaze as she looked to her dragon eggs.

Robb smiled to himself as he recalled the breathtaking features on Dimeria's face as she listened to him. He walked around the encampment not particularly caring where he was going…he was just walking.

"Lord Stark." A voice drew Robb away from his thoughts and he brought himself back to reality.

A guard quickly ran towards him, a frantic look upon his face.

"We have a situation." He said breathlessly.

"What is it?" Robb said turning fully towards him.

"Some of the men found the scout in the woods. We've brought him back to your tent for questioning."

Robb nodded and with a swish of his cloak, he began walking to his tent. He passed by Dimeria's tent and silently cheered when he saw her poke her head out at the sudden commotion that had risen outside. She spotted Robb and quickly asked him what was going on.

"It seems they've found the scout you earlier spoke of." He said as he passed by. He chuckled to himself as she glared slightly, but followed him with no hesitation. They entered his tent abruptly, instantly looking for the Lannister scout.

Lord Umber was the first to speak to Robb after he entered.

"My Lord." He said bowing slightly. "Guards found him in the forest, they say they saw him counting our men."

"How high did he get?" Dimeria interjected quickly. The men glared at her dangerously, still fuming at the fact she hadn't spoken of the scout earlier. Robb suppressed a sigh when he saw her roll her eyes and turned back to Lord Umber who was roughly holding the Lannister scout by the hair.

"How high?" Robb asked him.

"20,000." The scout managed to squeak.

Robb turned to regard Dimeria who had a mischievous glint in her eyes; he could tell they were thinking the same thing. Robb made the decision he knew his men would think him crazy for, but it had to be done.

"Release him." Robb said to Lord Umber and the other man who was holding the scout. "Tell Lord Tywin, winter is coming for him. Twenty thousand northerners marching south to find out if he really does shit gold."

The scout nodded frightfully and quickly scampered off into the night. Lord Umber made a move to follow him, but only got so far as the entrance of the tent. The towering man stomped back over to Robb, glaring down with hatred filled eyes.

"Do you have any idea what you're doing, boy?" He spat down at him.

"Well apparently you don't." Dimeria answered for Robb.

The dangerous gaze then turned onto her, but Robb did not fear for her; he knew she could take care of herself.

"You really should be thanking him right now. I believe he just gave this army the perfect opportunity to gain the leverage you've been needing." Dimeria said condescendingly. Lord Umber looked confusedly over to Robb, causing to Dimeria to roll her eyes once more.

"Listen here, boy…" Lord Umber said, but Robb quickly stopped him.

"Call me boy one more time." He said meeting the dangerous stare. A change occurred in Robb's voice, it was more menacing and commanding…the voice of a leader. Everyone in the room seemed to notice the shift including Lord Umber, for he slowly backed away from Robb, but then quickly stomped out of the tent.

"My Lords," Robb said turning back to the other men in the tent, "there's much to be done. Rest well tonight, we have an early start in the morning."

The men nodded and began leaving the tent, sharing confident claps on the back with Robb.

"After that, I feel as if you should be thanking me for not informing you of the scout." Dimeria said to Robb with a sly smirk on her face.

Robb couldn't help but laugh as he shook his head. "Good luck getting that to happen." He said to her. Robb watched her leave his tent and fought with the voice in his head telling him to not let her leave. He shook the notion away though, it would only cause rumors to circle about the encampment. Robb began relieving himself of his armor, as he got ready to settle down for the night. Things had started to look slightly up for him that evening, but he knew he still had a very long road ahead of him.

He lay down on his bed, resting his hands behind his head while he stared up above him. Over and over, he replayed the conversation he had with Dimeria after he began telling her the history of Westeros. The memory gave him goosebumps and made his stomach feel as if it were being tied in knots.

"_The Kingslayer murdered The Mad King, even though he had sworn to protect him?" Dimeria had asked him with wide eyes._

"_That __**is**__ why they named him Kingslayer." Robb said with a laugh._

_Dimeria frowned at him before she asked another question, "What was his name, the Kingslayer?"_

"_Jaime Lannister."_

"_And that's who you're fighting against?"_

"_Yes, him and his father." Robb said bitterly. He looked to Dimeria as she bit her lip in contemplation. _

"_I wonder what he's like…" She said more to herself than to Robb._

"_It's said that he is the most handsome man in all of Westeros." Robb said._

_Dimeria laughed slightly and said, "I doubt that."_

"_Why's that?" _

"_Because I'm looking at the most handsome man in Westeros right now." She said with a grin._

_Robb raised his brows in surprise, taken aback by the honest comment. It seemed as though Dimeria surprised herself, for she was gnawing at her lip even harder and she quickly got up and walked back to the table with her dragon eggs. Robb got up and followed her asking,_

"_You think so?"_

"_Well, I mean, I haven't exactly seen that many men from Westeros, but I mean…from those I have seen…"_

_Robb quickly shut her up by gently placing a kiss upon her lips. _

…

"Is that from Dimeria?"

Jon looked up from the letter to Samwell's curious round face.

"It is." He answered.

"Is she already at King's Landing? That was quick!"

"No, she um, she's been captured by my brother." Jon said with a half-hearted laugh. Jon saw the panicked look on Sam's face and quickly reassured him,

"She is fine, technically she is not really a prisoner. It sounds more like Robb is keeping her there for safety reasons."

Sam's face immediately flooded with relief at the news. He missed Dimeria, he was one of the only one's that had ever been kind to him at Castle Black and it made him feel a little better that she was a girl, they never really spoke to him before. He was happy that she had finally gotten the opportunity to find her parents, but he could not deny how much her absence had changed things.

"Well that's good news." Sam said with a smile. "I hope she's staying safe."

"Me too." Jon said quietly. Jon couldn't quite determine how he felt after reading Dimeria's letter. At first it was fear, he knew something was wrong when he had received a letter so soon after she had left. But when he found out she had met his half-brother…what was it he felt? He knew Robb would never lay a hand to harm Dimeria, he was much too noble for that. So why was it he wasn't exactly thrilled that Dimeria was in his company?

Was he jealous?

He closed his eyes and sighed. No. He and Dimeria never had that relationship…but did he want to? Whether he did or not, he knew it wouldn't happen; Dimeria was gone now.

With Robb.

Robb had a chance, he realized. Jon quickly scolded himself for the thought. It was selfish for him to think that way, he should be happy for Dimeria, not jealous. He folded the letter back up and stood.

"I'm going to write back to her." He told Sam before he started making his way towards his chambers.

"Tell her I say 'hello!'" Sam called after him.

Jon settled at the small desk in his room and lit a candle. He stared down at a piece of parchment, wondering what he should write. Dimeria wasn't exactly sentimental, so he knew not to make the letter too sweet. He settled with just writing down what he would normally say to her in person; they had an honest relationship and he didn't plan on changing that.

_**Dear Dimeria,**_

_**I must say I knew something was wrong when I received a letter from you so soon, but I'm relieved to know you're in good hands. Robb will treat you well, I'm sure of it. **_

_**Try not to give him too much trouble, I'm sure he has quite a bit to be dealing with right now and your smart mouth tends to anger people…I'm just warning you. **_

_**Castle Black is not the same without you; Alliser Thorne seems to be enjoying having more control over the new recruits. My Uncle Benjen has still not returned, I can tell Commander Jeor is worried, especially because of the White Walkers. Not that you particularly care, but he misses you too…along with Maester Aemon. I think they wish they had ended things better with you, they truly believe that what they hid from you was for the best. **_

_**Write to me as soon as you make your way closer to King's Landing, or whenever you get the chance. As always, I am praying for you.**_

_**Yours truly,**_

_**Jon Snow**_

_**P.S. Samwell would like me to send you his greetings.**_

* * *

**A/N: So there's the next part. Just a little heads up, I've been thinking a little farther into the storyline and I think I'm really going to end up changing a lot of things. I hope that doesn't bother too many people, but oh well…this is a FanFic after all.**

**Remember to leave reviews, I love reading them!**

**Until next time…**


	12. Chapter 13

_**A/N: So here's the next chapter! It's mostly filler, but it's leading up to some big things. I put in a little Lannister action…we've got both brothers in this part. Hope you enjoy!**_

* * *

It was odd. She had never felt anything like it before.

A kiss.

She really wasn't entirely sure what to even do. Robb's lips were warm and soft, while hers she imagined, were dull and lifeless. She simply stood there for a moment, the shock she originally felt at the compliment she had given Robb intensified when she felt his lips on hers. A sudden fire ignited within her stomach, melting the cold that usually embodied her limbs. Desire engulfed her, wiping her thoughts clean of anything else and repealing any control Dimeria originally had over her body.

Robb's hand moved to the side of her face; tucking her white strand of hair behind her ear, as Dimeria finally felt herself come to life. She tilted her head up and fully joined in with the kiss, feeling it become deeper and more passionate. She allowed her hand to trail up his muscular chest and over his shoulder, pulling him closer to her and he immediately obliged. Their lips moved over each other in a harmonious rhythm, more graceful than any dance. Robb held her close to him, one hand on the small of her back and the other on her shoulder.

They broke the kiss then, but still held each other close. Dimeria was slightly breathless and closed her eyes as she leaned against Robb's shoulder. His hand was still on her back, his cheek resting on the top of her head.

Dimeria couldn't bring herself to look at him; she had never felt anything like that before. Did she enjoy it? She would be lying to herself if she said she didn't, but she wasn't sure what to do about it.

Robb pulled back from her so he could look her in the eyes, but still held her by the shoulders.

"You're the most beautiful woman in all of Westeros, in my opinion." He told her sweetly.

A warm blush rose to her cheeks as she offered him a small smile. He caressed her cheek softly and she closed her eyes, indulging in the contact and reveling in his soft touch. He placed a kiss on her forehead and then told her that he should go. As he left, Dimeria felt a slight emptiness in her chest, but it wasn't long after that she saw him again as he walked to go confront the scout they had captured.

Dimeria was impressed with how Robb immediately seemed to pick up on the plan she had also formed in her mind and even more so with how he dealt with Lord Umber. She walked back to her tent with only Robb consuming her thoughts. As she lay on her bed, she held a mental debate with herself; wondering why she allowed herself to open up as she did. Indecision and confusion still weighed heavy on her mind as sleep finally claimed her for the night.

The clanking of metal armor and stomping feet woke Dimeria early the next morning. She dressed and braided her hair quickly, for this was the routine she usually followed at Castle Black. She stopped, not realizing what it was she wanted to do.

_You want to see Robb…_ A voice in her head told her.

Dimeria shut her eyes tightly, willing the voice to shut up. Whether it was possible or not, Dimeria still thought she felt the lingering warmth of Robb's lips on hers. Her feelings for Robb were as unsettling as a stormy sea, but she liked it…the problem was getting her to admit it.

"Lady Dimeria?" The voice of one of her guards interrupted her inner turmoil.

"Drop the 'lady.' You and I both know it doesn't fit me." Dimeria said bluntly.

More than happy to oblige with her request, the guard continued on,

"Lord Stark would like you to join him in breaking fast." The guard said with obvious boredom.

Dimeria felt her breath catch in her throat at the sudden request. She nodded her confirmation and followed the guard out of her tent. He escorted her to Robb's tent, though he didn't seem too thrilled about it.

"If you don't want to escort me, don't bother." Dimeria said without even glancing at him.

"It's my job. If I don't do what I'm told, I get in trouble." The guard looked down at her then. "You would take care to remember that."

"And what exactly is that supposed to mean?" Dimeria snapped at him, but he gave no response, for they were already at Robb's tent. She pushed her way in, not waiting for the guard to hold open the flap for her.

Robb was at the back of the tent throwing on a simple tan shirt over his muscled body. Dimeria bit her lip nervously as she turned to gaze around the space. It wasn't the fact that he was shirtless; she had seen multiple men at Castle Black without clothing, but it was the fact that is was Robb that made her uncomfortable. She felt as if she was invading his privacy.

"Dimeria, good morning." Robb said with a wide smile. She couldn't help the smile that splayed across her face.

"Good morning to you, too." She told him.

"Would you care to join me?" He said gesturing at the table laden with food.

"I wouldn't be here if I didn't." She said honestly. Robb grinned at her comment and pulled out a chair for her.

"Your men are getting ready fairly early this morning. I assume we'll be moving the encampment?" She asked him.

"I only ride to Riverrun to discuss negotiations with Lord Frey."

Dimeria cocked an eyebrow, not aware of whom Lord Frey was or why they needed to negotiate. Robb chuckled slightly and explained:

"Walder Frey is the Lord of Riverrun. Not the most pleasant man, but we need his favor in order to cross The Trident River to meet the Lannisters."

"I see. So we're not going anywhere?"

"Not yet." He said with smile, realizing how restless she was.

Silence fell over them. Robb was content with it; he enjoyed being in Dimeria's company, but she began anxiously shaking her leg. She gnawed at her lip and scratched at the wooden table slightly. Robb raised his eyes to her, questioning her discomfort.

"Robb, when will I be able to move forward?" She finally asked. Robb furrowed his brow at her question. He moved from across the table and took the seat directly to her right. He looked into her wide eyes, trying to decipher what it was she was feeling.

"You wish to leave so soon?" He asked her. She dropped her gaze from his, not able to answer his question. She knew her presence meant more to him than it originally had and it meant more to her now, but finding her parents was much more important to her.

"Dimeria, last night I—I thought that…" He stopped not capable of finding the words he wanted. He took a deep breath to settle himself and tried again.

"Did last night mean nothing to you?" He knew it was just a kiss, but he knew Dimeria had never been with a man in that way, he hoped it meant something to her.

"Of course it meant something to me, I've never…kissed someone before in my entire life." She said wearily. "It's just—finding out who my parents are means a lot to me too."

Robb bowed his head slightly, disappointment in his eyes. He understood completely, Jon Snow had often spoken with him about how he wanted to find out who his mother was; Robb just never thought that that understanding would affect him so much.

"I understand." He told Dimeria. "But I care about you much more than I ever thought was possible…I would hate to see you leave."

Dimeria wished she could relay the same feelings back to Robb, but she couldn't bring herself to say the words…she didn't want to become vulnerable to someone like that. But Robb forced her to confront her feelings.

"Do you not care for me also?" He asked her. She closed her eyes.

"I do care for you…" She muttered quietly.

Robb reached over and grabbed her hand, knowing how difficult it was for Dimeria to admit that. She looked up to him with her bright blue eyes and saw all of Robb's feelings in his face. It pained her to know someone cared for her so much even though she was unable to express her feelings in the same way; that's why she didn't want to care for people, it made things easier.

"Dimeria, with everything going on…the war and whatnot, it's too dangerous to be travelling on your own to King's Landing, or anywhere else for that matter. I promise that if I get out of this war alive, I will help you go south to find your parents."

The emotion in Robb's voice was enough to make Dimeria's heart swell. She knew Robb would keep that promise, but she didn't know if she could wait that long. Wars could last months, even years, she had waited her entire life and she didn't want to wait any longer to find her parents. But she couldn't tell Robb that.

"Okay." She agreed with him.

He leaned over and kissed her, awakening the same desire Dimeria had felt last night. She reached across to him and placed her hand on the back of his neck, pulling him closer. Reluctantly, he pulled away from her.

"I should get ready to leave, my men will be getting restless." He said.

"I'm the one you need worry about getting restless." She said with irritation clear in her voice. Robb laughed at her and placed a gentle kiss on her lips again.

"I should be back no later than nightfall. Try not to cause too much trouble." He said with a smirk. She scoffed at his remark, but knew he was right. She did have a habit of stirring things up. Dimeria walked him to his horse, more than aware of the stares they were receiving from the men. She tried to ignore them like usual, but the intense gazes drilled into her back like daggers. Her nose wrinkled as she mentally scolded herself for allowing the men to get under her skin; no such thing would have ever happened back at The Wall.

"Don't your men know it's rude to stare?" She muttered angrily to Robb.

Robb glanced around at his men as if he had only noticed the curious stares after Dimeria mentioned it.

"I'm sure they're just jealous that you're not seeing them off as you are with me." He said in attempt to lighten her mood. The only response he got was an eye roll, so he gently nudged her in the ribs with his elbow. She huffed as she looked up at him with distaste. Seeing the smirk on his face, she shoved him to the side and walked faster in order to leave him behind.

"Keep that attitude up and I'll never allow you to travel south." Robb said after he caught up with her. Dimeria seethed in anger and turned with wide eyes.

"I'm only joking, calm down!"

Glaring at him the entire time, she watched as Robb mounted his horse.

"And you say **I'm** infuriating." She told him when he was settled.

"You are, I'm just returning the favor." He looked down at her and laughed at the scowl on her face.

"You need to lighten up, Dimeria."

"Good luck getting that to happen." She said.

"Oh, I'm sure I can do something to help. You weren't so tense when I was kissing you."

As soon as he saw the blush on her cheeks, her urged his horse forward and left her in the swirling dust.

…

"Ah, little brother…good to see you're safe."

"Yes, no thanks to you or father." Tyrion Lannister replied to his brother, Jaime.

"Well maybe if you hadn't left us to go to The Wall, you wouldn't have ended up in such an unfavorable position." Jaime said with a smirk. "How was that icy shithole, anyway?"

"Not too bad, really. Honestly Jaime, you need to learn to appreciate art when it's there. The Wall is an amazing piece of work."

"The only art I appreciate is the art of swordplay."

"Yes I know, which makes me realize that you may have actually liked the girl I met at Castle Black. Magnificent swordsman." Tyrion said in remembrance of Dimeria.

"A woman at The Wall? What the hell is that about?"

"I believe she's being hidden actually."

Jaime cocked a brow at his brother as he adjusted his armor on his shoulders.

"She's a bastard child, you see. The Lord Commander brought her there as a child to keep her safe, I assume. If my suspicions are correct, he made the right choice in keeping her hidden."

"And what exactly are your suspicions, Tyrion?" Jaime asked with a hand on his hip.

"It may only be half since she's a bastard, but I believe she's a bastard Targaryen."

Jaime scoffed at his brother's thoughts, his customary smirk clear on his face.

"I thought you were supposed to be the smart one in this family, Tyrion." Jaime said.

"What? Was the Mad King not allowed to fuck other women? Our current king does it." Tyrion said as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"All the Targaryens are either dead or exiled. None of them are in Westeros…not even at The Wall."

"Yes, you made sure that was their fate…didn't you, Jaime?" Tyrion said drawing a dangerous glare from Jaime. "I see you're all dressed up in your armor, where are you off to?" Tyrion asked, directing the conversation in a different direction to avoid Jaime's wrath.

Stifling the anger that Tyrion's comment had ignited, he continued on with the conversation:

"Father has given me half of our army to besiege Riverrun. I'm getting ready to go this very minute."

"Our dear father always was very generous when it came to you." Tyrion said sarcastically. "I would wish you good luck, but you usually don't seem to need it."

"Well, it's the thought that counts…or so I've heard." Jaime said turning his back. "Good-bye, little brother!"

Lord Tyrion walked off in the other direction, his thoughts still dancing around Dimeria. He wondered how she was fairing, if she and the other bastard, Jon Snow were getting on well. He hoped that Dimeria stayed at Castle Black, unless he was wrong…which was a rare occasion, she truly was a Targaryen and in that case, anywhere would be dangerous if people found out about her origins. Oddly enough, Tyrion decided that he wasn't going to share this piece of information with anyone. He liked Dimeria and didn't see any reason to put her to death when she had done nothing wrong, she didn't even know why her identity put her in danger! He thought back to when he had told her she was always welcome at King's Landing. He hadn't been lying to her, but he had said it with the belief that Dimeria would never make her way south. Tyrion still hoped that she wouldn't make the journey, but Dimeria was fierce; she could do anything if she set her mind to it.

Tyrion shook his head at the thought of all the dangers she could possibly walk into if she left the safety of Castle Black. He was confident she wouldn't leave though, there was no way he would have cross paths with Dimeria again.

* * *

The day passed by slowly for Dimeria who had actually managed to follow Robb's orders and stay out of trouble. She stayed in her own tent until sundown came and she went to watch the setting of the sun. Dimeria missed Robb, she hated to admit it, but she did. She balled her fists at her sides as she scolded herself for feeling that way.

_You need to leave_… A voice told her._ If you become too attached, you'll never find out who you are…_

She sighed deeply and kicked the ground in frustration. Life had only become more complicated ever since she left Castle Black, hadn't she expected it to be easier? For everything to just fall into place? The only thing that had been falling was her defenses, her protection. She set them up around her heart, higher and stronger than the great Wall itself, yet Robb was determined to climb over it. He didn't even know why she was so guarded. Now that she thought about, Dimeria realized that Robb didn't know that much about her life; not that there was much to it, she was just a ranger at Castle Black. Only one person knew everything about her, only one person had made it over her walls and he wasn't anywhere near Dimeria. Dimeria felt tears pool in her eyes as she thought of Jon; she missed his company and the comfort he brought to her life.

The sun had reached the end of its descent and moon was quickly making its luminous trek up into the sky. She began walking back to her tent and she saw that Robb's men were making their return. She eyed the galloping horses for Robb's curly auburn hair, but she could not find him. The longing to just run to his tent and wait for him pushed her onwards, but she decided against it; it would only draw more curious gazes from the already suspicious men.

She went to her tent to wait for him and was happy when she realized she didn't have to wait long. As he walked into her tent, Dimeria surprised Robb as well as herself as she ran to him and threw her arms around his neck, placing a passionate kiss on his lips. She pulled back and he raised his brows in question as she blinked confusedly at what she had just done.

"It's good to see you too, Dimeria." Robb said with a smile as he placed his hands over her hips.

"I-I'm not sure why I did that…" Dimeria stuttered, moving her hands to his shoulders.

"Obviously because you missed me." He said with a smirk.

"Did not!" She said pulling away from him. He pulled her back by the hips quickly and held her close to him, their faces barely inches apart.

"You don't have to deny it." He whispered with his warm breath brushing against her lips. He kissed her gently then, but still managed to pour all of his feelings into that single kiss, leaving Dimeria breathless when they parted. He walked past her then, finding a small chair to sit on.

"So? How did it go? Do you have permission to cross?" Dimeria asked him as she followed him.

Robb's face instantly darkened at the mention of the negotiations. He had gotten the approval from Lord Frey to cross and he was even gifted with some of his men to fight, but Robb was less than thrilled at what he had to do in return.

"Robb?" Dimeria pressed on.

"Negotiations rarely happen without a price." Robb sighed.

"Yes, that is why they're called 'negotiations'."

Robb frowned at her sarcasm letting her know that it was not helping. She rolled her eyes and smirked slightly. Again, Robb sighed greatly before further explanation:

"Lord Frey has granted me access to cross the river, but he has requested that Arya marry one of his sons when they are of age and…" Robb paused, finding it difficult to speak of his predicament.

"And he wants me to marry one his daughters when this is all over."

Dimeria widened her eyes a touch and forced herself the swallow the burning lump in her throat so she could continue speaking.

"And you agreed to these terms?" She asked quietly.

"I had to. If there is no peace between my house and House Frey then we can make no advancements." Robb said matter-of-factly.

"Well then I suppose I can leave then." She said breaking eye contact.

"What?"

"I assume I was just a distraction for you before you found a real woman to be with."

"What are you talking about, I would never do that!" He said standing up.

Dimeria could make no response as she tried to decipher her feelings. She was angry, of course, but what she mainly felt was heartache. The same heartache she felt that day when she overheard Jeor and Aemon keeping secrets from her.

**That** was the reason she protected herself.

She hated feeling that pain…the pain of betrayal, loss, and hopelessness. She turned away from Robb and faced her desk, getting distracted by her dragon eggs.

"I have made it very clear to you about I feel." Robb said to her back. "You are the one who cannot express your feelings."

Tears formed in her eyes as she bowed her head down. Robb walked up behind her then and placed his hands on her shoulders, turning her around to face him. She tried to jerk away, but he held on tightly, forcing her to look him in the eyes.

"How much do you care for me, Robb?" She asked him quietly.

He took a deep breath and gently pushed up her chin to look her in the eyes.

"Words cannot describe my feelings for you, Dimeria. I know that I haven't known you for very long, but I can't help how I feel. You make my heart race and you make my stomach twist up in knots."

He gently wiped away a tear that had escaped from Dimeria's eyes. He kept his hand on her cheek, gently caressing it.

"But you make it so difficult to care about you, Dimeria. You are so guarded and won't let anyone close to you. I would never do anything to hurt you, but sometimes I fear you wouldn't return that favor."

Dimeria held her hand over her mouth as she took a sharp breath at his words. She knew he was right, she would most likely never feel the same way Robb felt.

"I'm so sorry, Robb."

He leaned his forehead against hers, holding her tightly against his body. He knew Dimeria couldn't change who she was, at least not right away. She had never known any differently, but that didn't stop the pain he felt when she didn't even make an attempt at disputing his words. Robb wouldn't stop though, he would use every last ounce of strength, every last breath in his body to gain Dimeria's trust. He didn't care if it took years, he didn't want Dimeria to be a cold, lifeless person when he knew the potential she had to be amazing.

"Please understand, Dimeria. I had to agree to his requests."

Dimeria nodded against his head, feeling his warm breath on her face.

"I understand."

"I swear I will look for any possible way to get out of the betrothal. I am not going to just abandon you."

She nodded again and breathed deeply, trying to calm herself down. She allowed herself to relax in Robb's arms, taking in his scent and the feel of his arms around her back. It was a rare feeling for her; she knew she shouldn't let have been letting her guard down like she was, but she didn't care at the time. Dimeria also didn't care when Robb kissed her again, no, she didn't mind at all. She returned the kiss just as passionately as he did, her hands running through his hair. The familiar blaze of desire erupted again as he pressed his hand into the small of her back, pushing her as close to him as possible. Robb carefully bit down on her bottom lip and a moan involuntarily escaped her mouth.

Their breathing came harder as they allowed each other access into each other's mouths; their tongues dancing around each other eagerly. His hands roamed down to her backside hungrily as he pushed her up against the small desk in her tent, drawing another moan from Dimeria, which he joined in with. They couldn't seem to get enough of each other as they closed what little space was between them. Robb eventually lifted Dimeria on top of the desk and in the little time their lips parted, he moved his mouth down onto her neck, gently nipping and sucking her skin. Dimeria bit her lip in ecstasy as she tilted her head back. She didn't know if she could contain everything she was feeling; it was almost as if she would burst from the pleasure.

The strength of their passion seemed to be a force field, pushing everything outwards. As a result, Dimeria's dragon eggs rolled off the desk, drawing all of her attention away. Robb's lips separated from her skin whilst he looked to what had distracted Dimeria. He chuckled breathlessly when he saw the disturbance and disappointedly rested his head on Dimeria's shoulder.

"I suppose now really isn't the best time, anyway." Robb said.

"Probably not." Dimeria agreed mindlessly; she couldn't really comprehend what had just happened. It was as if she wasn't even in her own body when it happened, she had no control over what was happening.

They collected their senses and Robb guided her down from the desk.

"I'm going to be meeting with the lords and bannermen to discuss the upcoming attack. I just wanted to tell you what happened." Robb told her.

"You did a lot more than that!" Dimeria said with a laugh. Robb laughed along with her and stroked back her loose hairs.

"I know you're going to fight with me the entire time, but I swear I will climb over your walls. I'm going to heal every wound everyone has ever caused you."

Dimeria bit her lip nervously, no words coming to mind. Robb seemed to be the only man she had ever met to leave her speechless, she wasn't entirely sure she liked it, but she would get used to it. Robb left her alone in the tent to discuss battle plans for the upcoming days. They planned to separate their ranks; most of their men were set to attack Jaime Lannister's army to hopefully overpower his men. Dimeria would find that the day of the attack was more nerve wracking than any other day she had ever experienced in her life. She wasn't focused on that for the night though, she was still focused on everything Robb had confessed to her. She laughed a slightly humorless laugh when she realized that he truly wouldn't give up, he would do everything possible to climb her walls to win her heart.

And the thing was…she was finally beginning to feel those walls slowly crumble.

* * *

_**Aaaw, so much Robb and Dimeria cuteness, I hope you liked this chapter. There will be much more Jaime Lannister in upcoming parts, so hopefully I wrote him well. **_

_**Remember to leave reviews, I didn't get too many last time so hopefully I get a little more this time!**_

_**Until next time...**_


	13. Chapter 14

_**Here's part 13! **_

_**Special thanks to **__**ZabuzasGirl, sassygirl9811, and GUEST**__** for reviewing, it means a lot! Hope you enjoy!**_

* * *

"So how do you plan on getting out of this one?"

Robb regarded Theon curiously.

"What do you mean?" He asked him.

"I mean you and Dimeria." Theon said with a smirk. "Don't try to act like there isn't anything going on, I've seen you two together."

Robb shook his head. There wasn't any point in denying it; he didn't want to deny it, but with his betrothal to the Frey girl, it made things more difficult. Theon was in Robb's tent helping him get ready for the battle that loomed before them like a dangerous storm. Robb looked up from his attentive studying over his map and rubbed a hand down his face.

"I don't know, really." Robb admitted.

"Does she know about the Freys?"

"Yes."

"Oh, so you're just fu-"

"Theon." Robb cut him off short, knowing where he was going with the conversation. He sent a harsh glare his way, but it did nothing to dispel the smirk that resided on his face. Theon chuckled for a moment longer, but then got serious, which was a rare occasion for him.

"How well do you really know her, Robb? I mean, she's only been here for-what, 2 weeks?" Theon said skeptically.

"I know I haven't known her that long, but...I can't explain it, Theon." He sighed deeply and closed his eyes. "I want to get to know her, she's just so guarded and...She doesn't trust anyone and I don't know why!" Robb threw his hands up frustratedly as he paced about the tent.

"I see, you want to get her to trust you and be her knight in shining armor, right?"

"Something like that." Robb mumbled.

Theon shook his head and signaled to Robb that they should get back to their preparations. Theon had never been one for romances and didn't understand why people got involved with them; they required too much commitment in his eyes. He looked at Robb and almost pitied him for how much he cared for Dimeria; Theon knew Dimeria wouldn't open up to Robb like he wanted; she was as hard as a stone. He kept his thoughts to himself though, although it was unlikely, he didn't want to destroy what slim chances Robb did have with her.

…

Sweat covered her brow and her arms were heavy with fatigue, but she liked it. Robb had asked Dimeria to train his men to help them get ready for the upcoming battle and that's what she had been doing the past few days. The small tips she gave them had already made vast improvements. Dimeria found that she missed training other fighters; she reveled in the high energy and the adrenaline rush, the only thing missing was the thrill of fighting for your life as if you were in a real battle.

The men were astounded by Dimeria's skills and paid close attention to every word she said and every move she made. They gained a huge amount of respect for her in a short amount of days and were beginning to find her company much more enjoyable even though she was still brash and sometimes just plain rude. Blundering men often received comments such as:

"Who even let you in the army?"

"Why would anyone ever hand you a weapon?"

"By the gods, you are the dumbest man I have ever met!"

Much to Robb's surprise, they took the insults in good stride and made the improvements Dimeria demanded.

It was a little past midday and Dimeria decided to let the men have a break, for she too was becoming worn out. Hoping to improve upon her archery skills, she picked up a bow and some arrows and found a target. She made sure to keep the same form Robb had instructed her to use and in doing so, made a perfect shot.

"You do not often see a woman with such fighting prowess."

Dimeria turned to see Lady Stark gliding towards her. Her fiery red hair brought out her blue eyes and Dimeria realized that Robb inherited much of his features from his mother.

"You don't really have a choice when you're raised on The Wall." Dimeria said with a small smile.

"I can see." Lady Stark said returning the smile. "Would you accompany me on a walk, Dimeria? I do miss a woman's company these days."

Dimeria nodded yes, she felt as if she could hardly refuse. They walked side by side, Dimeria letting the cool breeze dry her sweat and Lady Stark closing her eyes as she basked in the sunlight.

"What was your life like at Castle Black, Dimeria? If you don't mind me asking." Catelyn said.

"Well, I guess if you were to, um, compare the lives of those who have, uh...taken The Black to those who haven't...it would be quite different." Dimeria found it hard to speak to Lady Stark. She knew she held a position of respect among the people and she felt like she needed to speak to her properly; the problem was that Dimeria lacked these manners.

"That doesn't tell me much of your life, dear." Catelyn said, seemingly unfazed by Dimeria's stuttering.

"What would you like to hear, Lady Stark?" Dimeria asked.

"Please, call me Catelyn. And anything...life at Castle Black sounds very intriguing."

Dropping her fake manners, Dimeria continued.

"Um, I guess I had a lot more freedom than most people do regarding the government system. I heard plenty of the men always complaining about the laws and how difficult their lives were. Being raised at The Wall, I could pretty much do whatever it was I wanted. The kingdoms just left us alone and I guess that's how they never found out that there was a female warrior there."

"My daughter Arya would have loved freedom such as that." Catelyn said sadly as she thought of her missing daughter.

Dimeria continued on with her explanation, feeling awkward about Lady Stark's unhappiness.

"Maester Aemon, he was Lord Commander at the time, took me in as a babe and started training me as a young child to wield a sword. His second in command, Jeor, was responsible for me most of the time. I owe most of my training to them."

"And what was it like being the only woman there?" Catelyn asked her curiously.

"I grew accustomed to it, I guess. Most of the men that are still there now knew me from a young age. Although, when I got older, there were many recruits that had trouble…um, restraining themselves. My fighting skills came into good use then." Dimeria said with a smile.

Lady Stark laughed beautifully then, making Dimeria feel more comfortable around her. Dimeria laughed along with her and couldn't help but notice that Robb had the same smile as her. Catelyn quieted down, but still had a beaming smile on her face.

"But you never had a septa? No schooling of any kind?" She questioned Dimeria.

"No, what little manners I do have I learned from Jeor and Aemon." Dimeria said, dropping their titles. "I know nothing of politics or whatever it is that a woman does in a normal household."

"I imagine you are what Arya would be like if she had her way." Catelyn said mentioning her daughter once more, only this time she didn't seem as sad; at least if she was, she didn't show it. "Come, I would like you to try something." She said to Dimeria, holding out her hand. Dimeria grabbed her hand and allowed Catelyn to lead her to her tent. Catelyn began rummaging through trunk and pulled out a dark blue gown, holding it up for Dimeria to see.

Dimeria raised her brows awkwardly and tried to smile. Catelyn laughed and said:

"Try it on!"

The crooked smile fell from Dimeria's face and she shook her head back and forth.

"Oh no, I couldn't. It's yours and I wouldn't want to ruin it."

"Don't be silly. This is an older one and even though I'm a bit taller than you, I think it will fit just fine." She said coming up to Dimeria and removing her cloak.

_Is __**this**__ what it's like to have a mother?_ Dimeria thought to herself.

Lady Stark set her cloak down and walked Dimeria behind a changing screen. Reluctantly, Dimeria began changing into the dress. She slipped into it easily, but continued standing behind the screen nervously.

"Um, what do I do with the strings?" She called out to Catelyn. A small chuckle escaped from Catelyn's lips and drifted to Dimeria's ears.

"Come out here, I will lace them for you."

Dimeria walked back out and turned, allowing Lady Stark to tie them. It seemed tight around her waist compared to the loose tunic she was accustomed to and her legs felt oddly bare, for there was no fabric covering them like her trousers normally did. She bit her lip anxiously, wondering why Lady Stark was doing this for her; she assumed it had something to do with missing her daughters.

Once Catelyn had finished lacing the dress up, she walked Dimeria over to a small mirror and allowed her to look upon her reflection. Dimeria raised her brows in surprise and ran her hands over the soft fabric covering her stomach. Although it was long on her and flowed down to the ground, it fit Dimeria in all the right spots and showed off every curve, which Dimeria didn't know she had. She couldn't stop staring at herself. The reflection didn't even look like her, more like the shadow of the woman she would have been if she hadn't been raised at Castle Black. Thoughts of what her life might have been like clouded her mind and she frowned unconsciously, drawing the attention of Lady Stark.

"Do you not like it?" She asked concernedly.

"Oh, it's beautiful...I'm just not really used to dresses." Dimeria said. It wasn't a lie, Dimeria was significantly uncomfortable; she had never worn a dress before.

"You will get used to it." Catelyn said with a smile. She suddenly grabbed a brush and released Dimeria's hair from its braid; gently stroking her mane and bringing out its shine. She grabbed the white strand of hair and braided it, bringing it around to the back and pinning it there with a beautiful clip in the shape of a rose.

"Why are you doing this?" Dimeria asked Catelyn.

Catelyn shrugged and said, "I miss my daughters, I guess this is my way of trying to cope. I hope this doesn't make you uncomfortable."

"No actually. I always wondered what it would be like to have a mother, now I have an idea."

Catelyn smiled through tears and brought Dimeria up to embrace her warmly. Again, it was something new for Dimeria, but she hugged her back tightly.

They walked out of Lady Stark's tent then, continuing their walk around the grounds. Dimeria very much enjoyed Catelyn's company and felt comfortable for one of the first times since she had gotten captured. Catelyn often laughed at Dimeria, for she stumbled around awkwardly for a while in her new dress. It brought a warm blush to Dimeria's cheeks, but it was soon forgotten with Lady Stark's kindness. They spent most of the day together and stopped on a small hill to watch the sunset.

"Lady Stark!" A voice called out. They both turned to see a guard, the same that had been posted at Dimeria's tent for a while, walking towards them. He saw Dimeria and widened his eyes substantially. "And uh, Lady Dimeria."

"Can we help you?" Catelyn said formally.

"Your son wishes to have a word with you in his tent." He said.

Lady Stark nodded and bringing Dimeria along, walked to Robb's tent. Dimeria was glad that Catelyn was walking quickly, for she felt the stares of the men watching her go by, most of them hardly recognizing Dimeria now that she was dressed like a real woman.

Lady Stark entered first, capturing Robb's attention quickly, but only to have it stolen by the sight of Dimeria. His eyes widened when he saw how beautiful she looked in the deep blue dress, which matched her eyes. Dimeria bit her lip shyly as she became aware of Robb's stare and she went to tuck her hair behind her ear, only to remember that Lady Stark had braided it back. Never had Dimeria felt so odd in the presence of men; she had always been around them, but she had never been so uncomfortable.

Lady Stark was more than aware of Robb's affection towards Dimeria, so she cleared her throat with a small smile that brought her son back to reality.

"You wished to speak with me?" She said getting him back on track.

Robb took one last glance at Dimeria and said, "Yes. We are riding out tomorrow, two thousand to Tywin Lannister's camp and the rest of us to Jaime's."

Both of the women swallowed the lumps that had formed in their throats at the thought of Robb going into battle, more so Catelyn than Dimeria. Not only had she lost her husband, but both her daughters were being held in King's Landing and she had been away from her 2 other sons for months now; Catelyn could hardly stand the thought of losing Robb to the Lannisters.

"I will see you off at first light." Catelyn said bravely.

"As will I." Dimeria said.

"No. I would actually prefer you to stay here." Robb said. Dimeria held back the confusion and hurt at his words, waiting for him to explain. "I would leave my mother in charge of the rest of the encampment, but I know that she will wait for me at the edge of the forest until I return safely." He said giving her a knowing smirk.

"Since she would not be present, you are the only other one I trust to handle things around here." He concluded.

Dimeria's mouth hung agape for a few moments, bringing a loud laugh from the back of the tent that came from Theon. She glowered at him, but had her attention brought back to Robb as he continued explaining.

"The men respect you and you are smart. I know you can handle it. Besides, most of us will be gone fighting, it shouldn't be too difficult."

"I will do my best." Dimeria said quietly. Robb smiled warmly at her, his heart still thumping rapidly at how radiant she looked in her dress.

"Theon, would you escort Lady Dimeria back to her tent." Robb said using a proper title for her.

"It would be my pleasure." Theon said with mock politeness. Dimeria rolled her eyes at him and cautiously took the arm he held out for her. Robb watched her leave and couldn't stop himself from staring at her curves which were much more prominent in the dress. Lady Stark again smiled knowingly, but a hint of sadness crept into her eyes.

"Robb." She said diverting his attention. She sighed greatly before continuing. "I wish you had the freedom to do as you heart wishes, but…"

"Mother-" He tried to interrupt.

"No, Robb. You have a duty to fulfill. You are promised to one of Lord Frey's daughters. You cannot trade the lives of your sisters for one girl…"

"Mother, I would never do that!" He said slightly raising his voice.

Catelyn inhaled sharply through her nose. "Dimeria is a kind girl. Getting to know her better this afternoon makes it harder for me to say this, but you cannot be with her. I swear, I wish the both of you no ill will, but we need to get Sansa and Arya back...they are our first priorities."

Robb looked down disappointedly, knowing his mother was right. But he couldn't just let Dimeria go, not after he had just started getting closer to her and not after she had started to possibly trust him.

"I cannot help what I feel for her, mother. I just…" He sighed, tears filling his eyes. "I don't want to let her go."

Catelyn could offer no words of solace to her son; she knew the pain of heartbreak could not so easily be mended. She gently took his head in her hands and kissed him on the cheek.

"I know...but you must." She said quietly. She quickly hugged him before leaving him in his tent to think things through. The only thing that came to mind though, was that he didn't want to leave Dimeria, he couldn't leave her.

…

"My mother said she enjoyed spending time with you today." Robb said to Dimeria as they ate dinner together.

"As did I."

Robb stared at her for a few moments, wondering what it was she was thinking.

"Do you like the dress she gave you?" He asked.

She shrugged nonchalantly, "It's a bit uncomfortable, but I suppose I'll get used to it."

"You actually plan on wearing it regularly?" He asked surprised.

"No, probably not." Dimeria laughed.

Robb laughed along and said, "You look absolutely beautiful in it."

Butterflies rose in Dimeria's stomach as she nervously picked at her food. She still hadn't gotten quite used to the way Robb paid her with compliments; she never got them back at Castle Black unless they were talking about how good of a fighter she was. She still didn't really quite understand why Robb cared for her, but she knew he wouldn't stop. The only thing she could do to ensure she didn't get hurt and that Robb didn't get hurt, was to make sure they didn't go any further.

"Robb?"

He raised his eyebrows at her, signaling she had his attention.

"Getting your sisters back is your mother's first priority...and yours, I assume." Robb nodded letting her continue. "And finding my parents is very important to me."

"What are you trying to say?" Robb said trying to draw her thoughts out.

"Your mother does not want us to be involved with each other the way we are, am I correct?"

Again, Robb nodded.

"Everyone knows and if they don't, I assume they will find out soon enough; I was just thinking that...if they know that you and I are involved, yet you are supposed to marry the Frey girl, could that not anger your men?"

"It might." Robb said simply.

"And that does not bother you?" Dimeria asked.

"Not particularly."

Frustration ignited in her then. "How can it not?!" She said raising her voice. "If they are angered, than they might not serve you any longer and then you would lose men and then you will never get your sisters back. And I will not let that fault fall upon my shoulders!"

Dimeria had since then stood up and Robb followed suit.

"I will not come to that." He assured her. "I know that I have to marry Lord Frey's daughters, but if I can find a way out of it...I will."

"Robb, I cannot let you endanger your family...for me."

"I would do anything for you, Dimeria, if only you would open up your heart enough to allow me to do so." Robb said as he walked closer to her and grabbed her hands.

She shook her though, and backed away. "I can't, Robb. I know you want me to change, but I just can't. You deserve someone who can love you back...not me."

"You're the one I want, Dimeria. I'll wait a thousand years for you if I have to." Robb said.

Again, Dimeria shook her head, but when she back away, she completely left the tent. Robb sighed and made no move to follow her. He closed his eyes and ran a hand through his hair. Just when he thought they were beginning to make progress, they took another step back.

Perhaps his mother would end up getting what she wanted, even if it meant getting his heart broken.

* * *

"_**So you got rid of her? She is no longer in King's Landing?"**_

"_**No, your grace. I sent her with a man from-"**_

"_**Shut up! I don't care where she is now as long as it's not here!"**_

_**A young Jaime Lannister heard the booming voice down the hall from King Aerys' chambers. He raised a curious brow and quietly crept closer to hear the heated conversation. He was still a teenager, the youngest member of the Kingsguard, which meant that curiosity overpowered his better judgment.**_

"_**I apologize, your grace." A soft voice said from within the doors. "I just thought that maybe you wanted to know where she was."**_

_**He heard the king sigh and then his footsteps around the room. Jaime straightened up, just in case the king came out. Instead, he continued speaking.**_

"_**No. I must know though, did anyone see you? Does anyone know about her?" **_

"_**No, your grace. I made sure I spoke to no one."**_

_**Suddenly, Jaime heard soft footsteps coming from behind him. He turned the see Aerys' wife walking towards him, eyes forward as she came closer to her chambers. **_

"_**Ser Jaime." She said in greeting.**_

_**Jaime only nodded as he once again heard the king start speaking again.**_

"_**Good. It is over then; the girl is no longer my concern."**_

_**At that moment, Aerys' wife strode past Jaime and into her chambers asking, "Who is no longer your concern?"**_

_**Jaime heard a small gasp coming from the handmaiden that the king had spoken to and she quickly walked out of the room after being dismissed. He quickly followed the small maid and grabbed her by the elbow, jerking her back to him. Again she gasped, fear plain in her eyes. **_

"_**Who was it the king was speaking of?" Jaime asked the girl. She tried yanking her arm out of his grasp, but he held on tightly.**_

"_**I asked you a question." He said squeezing her arm even tighter.**_

"_**King Aerys has bid me not to speak of it. He said he would have my tongue if I ever mentioned it to anyone!" She spoke frantically.**_

"_**I guarantee that I can find a way for him to have your tongue for any other reason if you do not tell me who it was he spoke of." Jaime threatened her.**_

_**Tears spilled from the poor maid's eyes as she quietly told him, "His bastard daughter."**_

…

The repressed memory came surging forward in Jaime's mind as he caught a glimpse of Dimeria. She resembled her father more ways than none, only those who had worked closely around him could pick them out. The strand of white hair though, that's what really gave it away. He only got one quick look at her as she came running from the heart of the encampment towards the Stark men. He noted the relieved look on her face when she saw the Stark boy coming forward. Robb's men continued to drag him on, forcing him to crane his neck backwards in order to see Dimeria, but the moment was gone. They were soon tying Jaime to a post, securing him tightly and delivering a kick to his ribs before they left. He groaned as he sat back up, cursing himself for being in his current position. He couldn't believe he had been captured, no less by the Stark boy! His father would hear of it though, and his sister; they would not leave him there to rot in the north. Jaime was confident that they would do anything to get him back and they would do it quickly.

The night wore on and he listened as the Stark men cheered from their tents. Even the 2 men guarding him managed to ignore his snide comments long enough to bask in their good fortune. Jaime's thought's turned back to Dimeria, although he didn't know that was her name. He tried to recall every feature he had seen, making sure that he wasn't making a mistake. But he knew he wasn't. There was no doubt about it. He chuckled quietly to himself, making sure the guards didn't hear him.

_I guess Tyrion still is the smart one…_ He thought to himself.

Tyrion was right. Dimeria was a bastard child of King Aerys' Targaryen.

There was still a Targaryen within the Seven Kingdoms.

* * *

_**They finally captured Jaime! Thought I'd put a little flashback in there with Jaime to let you guys know that, yes, he is aware of who Dimeria is along with Tyrion.**_

_**Remember to review...they give me motivation!**_

_**Until next time...  
**_


	14. Chapter 15

_**Part 14 is here! Thanks **__**ZabuzasGirl **__**for the review and to **__**Katie-Lady16**__** for the super sweet comment on the last chapter! It seriously just made my day when I read it. This part has a lot of Jaime in it so I hope I wrote him well. Let me know what you think!**_

* * *

The men came back on their horses, glorious smiles upon their faces. Dimeria saw Robb dismount his horse and she almost fell to the ground in relief. Her knees went weak and she thought her stomach had turned inside out; she feared she would never see Robb again. They embraced each other tightly, not caring about the men seeing them together. To them, it was as if they were the only 2 people in the world; no one else existed at that moment. As they held each other, Dimeria forgot about the words she had said to Robb the night before; none of it mattered. The two of them never got a moment alone that night, the men were much too excited about their victory and Robb, being the good man he was, reminded them that there was still a long road ahead of them, that their fight was not over. The battle had changed him, Dimeria noticed. He was still brave and noble, but the fighting had hardened him, taken away some of the innocence he had possessed before.

It did not help when Robb received word that his father had died.

Dimeria wasn't sure how to comfort him; she had no clue what it felt like to lose a parent, but she wondered if it was anything like finding out that someone had lied to you your entire life. If so, she understood Robb and Catelyn better than she thought.

Robb came back to his tent (where Dimeria had been waiting), red-eyed and exhausted. The joy and pride he felt when he captured the Kingslayer had absolutely diminished when he got word of his father. He looked into Dimeria's eyes and saw the pity and comfort she wasn't sure how to express. Not knowing what else to do, they embraced each other and Robb continued crying into her shoulder as she stroked his curly hair. She gently soothed him and sat down with him on the bed, his head still pressed into the crook of her neck. The stroking came naturally to Dimeria, something which surprised her.

"Shhh, it's okay." She whispered gently in his ear.

"It's not." He sobbed. "You don't know what it's like, Dimeria. You don't know."

Dimeria could hear the pain and anguish in his voice and it hurt her to know he was feeling this way. A weakness she hated herself for having. She pulled Robb away from her shoulder gently, for he had calmed down significantly and the only tears that remained were quietly streaming down his face.

"You're right; I don't know what it's like to lose a parent." She said quietly.

"No, I didn't mean it like that…" Robb said pressing his hands to his face.

"I know, it's okay." She assured him. "But...I know what it's like to lose someone you cared for."

Robb looked at her curiously; this was the first time Dimeria had ever hinted at her past life...the more personal aspect of it anyway. She took a deep breath to get her thoughts in order, she felt as if she owed it to Robb to share this with him after everything he had done for her.

"I've known for my entire life what I am-a bastard. I accepted it at a young age. As long as I could fight with my sword I was happy; it didn't matter to me who my parents were. Jeor and Aemon did a good enough job in my opinion. I never realized it then, but I guess I considered them my makeshift parents." She bit her lip, never realizing that she cared for Jeor and Aemon so much.

"They never told me about my parents and I didn't care, but then I heard them talking one day."

"About what?" Robb asked quietly, his tears finally coming to a stop.

"They said that if I ever found out who I really was, it could be dangerous...they didn't want to tell me who my parents were and I hated them for it." She looked at Robb, her own eyes watering with salty tears.

"I felt betrayed. My entire life, I thought I was just a simple bastard child...no special story or anything, but then I found out that they had been keeping it a secret. My life. They knew everything about it, yet they wouldn't tell me...the two people who raised me kept my entire life hidden from me. I didn't want to have anything to do with them when I found out. That was when I lost them."

"And that's why you're travelling south, to find your parents?" Robb asked.

"Yes. I didn't tell you before because-"

"You didn't trust me." He finished for her.

She nodded yes and gave him a small smile. She felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders; she had never been that honest with someone ever since she left Castle Black. Robb kissed her gently and mumbled against her lips:

"Thank you."

"For what?" She whispered back.

"For trusting me just enough to tell me now."

Dimeria smiled and soon felt his lips back on hers. She didn't know what it was about Robb, but somehow he could make her forget everything; all the things that had once pained her and all the reasons she was so guarded…

and she hated it.

* * *

The King in the North.

The men chanted and cried vehemently as they declared Robb their king. They looked up to Robb, Dimeria realized, even though he was half the age of most of his men. She gazed around at all the men who were now standing on their feet, continuing their cheers.

She thought it was all ridiculous.

They were currently fighting a war to get rid of a king, yet they just named a new king? What was the point? Dimeria silently got up and walked away from the brunt of the encampment. She just couldn't fathom why the men felt the need to have a king. Didn't they want to be free? She shook her head and came to the conclusion that the further south of The Wall you went, the stupider people got.

Dimeria began walking up a small incline towards the posts where the prisoners were kept; it was quieter in that area and gave her the atmosphere she needed to think. Hurried stomps and quick breaths sounded before her and she looked up to see a perturbed Catelyn Stark walking away from the area of the prisoners.

"Lady Stark-uh, Catelyn, is everything alright?" Dimeria asked her.

"Yes, I am fine." She answered with a nervous smile. "Is there anything you need?" She asked wondering why Dimeria was wandering about by herself.

"Oh no, I was just taking a walk...to clear my mind."

"Would you like me to join you?" Catelyn asked.

"Don't worry about it, I prefer time by myself."

Catelyn smiled kindly, but continued to glance warily behind her towards the prisoners. She nodded to Dimeria and went on her way, causing Dimeria to furrow her brows in confusion. Dimeria continued walking up the small hill. The night was dark with hardly any stars in the sky to cast light upon the ground. Her feet crunched on dead grass and twigs, making the silence of the darkness shatter like breaking glass.

"What's a pretty lady like yourself doing out here all alone?"

Dimeria glanced down at the prisoner tied uncomfortably to a post.

"It could be dangerous, ya know." He continued. "Some men just can't handle themselves."

She smirked and snorted at his attempt at taunting her.

"I grew up with men who were put in prison for raping women. Don't worry about me."

The prisoner looked up from the mud and peered through his dirty hair at Dimeria. His eyes widened when he saw it was her and he immediately sat up straighter.

"What's your name?" He demanded more than asked.

"And why should I tell you?" She said with narrow eyes.

"I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours."

"I already know who you are, Lannister." Dimeria said, rolling her eyes in the darkness.

"Well if you know who I am, I believe I should be given the same courtesy." Jaime said without missing a beat. Dimeria sighed and gave in.

"Dimeria."

"You're the bastard girl from The Wall." Jaime said.

"You know of me?" She asked suspiciously.

"The men here never shut up about you...and my brother spoke rather highly of you when he returned from Castle Black."

"The men here are idiots." Dimeria spat.

"I agree!" Jaime said with a laugh. Dimeria still stood in front of him, staring off into the night and almost cringing every time she heard the men chant, _King in the North! _Jaime took notice and asked:

"The King in the North, is that what they're chanting?" He said looking to Dimeria. "Why don't you join them, you seem rather fond of the Stark boy."

Dimeria felt a warm blush creep into her cheeks and hoped that the darkness around her concealed it.

"Idiots do idiotic things...I don't want to chant to 'the king in the north.' Chanting along with them would mean I pledge loyalty to Robb Stark. I am loyal to no one except myself."

"Not loyal to Robb Stark? You seemed so happy to see him when he returned the other day. Or are you just happy to spread your legs for him?"

Dimeria turned on him quickly, her eyes narrowed dangerously. Jaime could almost feel the cold hatred she had for him at the moment and he instinctively backed his head away as far as he could.

"I am loyal to no one...and I spread my legs for NO ONE." She growled angrily and emphasized each word.

"An admirable trait…one that most women, I'm afraid, don't possess now a days." He said with a smirk. "Although, I guess you don't know many women since you were raised on The Wall."

Dimeria didn't answer, finding every horrible thing Robb said about Jaime to be true. He was arrogant and crass; Dimeria thought herself lucky that she had been around men like that all the time at Castle Black. She gazed at him curiously, wondering about another thing Robb had said about Jaime. Did women really think he was handsome? She couldn't see it, but she supposed that was due to the fact that he was dirty and most likely sitting in his own shit. Still, she couldn't pass up the opportunity to maybe dent his pride a bit.

"Do women actually find you attractive? I must say I don't see it at all."

"Well, you wouldn't since you are so obsessed with Robb Stark." He replied quickly.

"I am not obsessed with him!" She said raising her voice and bringing an even bigger smirk to Jaime's face.

"Lady Dimeria?"

A guard began walking up to her with a concerned look upon his features. "Is everything okay here?" He asked glaring at Jaime.

"Everything is fine." She snapped. Closing her eyes and collecting herself she said, "I was just taking a walk around the encampment, its okay."

The guard nodded and turned back around, resuming his prior activities. Dimeria also began to turn away, fed up with Jaime's comments.

"Wait!" He called back to her. She turned, preparing herself for another obnoxious remark. "Do you think you could spare me some water? These idiot men have not supplied me sufficiently."

Dimeria raised her brows and walked a step or two closer, removing the water skin that hung on her belt. She brought it to her lips and drained it of its contents, holding it upside down for Jaime to see.

"I'm sorry. I seem to have run out." She said feigning politeness. She gave him an overly sweet smile and finally turned to walk away.

The same smirk still resided upon Jaime's face; he was almost amused at her last little stunt, but it quickly dulled down to a thoughtful expression as he watched Dimeria walk away.

_You truly are a Targaryen, aren't you?_ Jaime thought to himself.

* * *

"Robb, if you want to trade him for you sisters, you're going to have to keep him in good condition." Dimeria pleaded with Robb. He was not exactly pleased when he saw Dimeria returning from speaking with the Kingslayer. Dimeria was fairly objective about the matter of keeping Jaime alive; it wasn't her war or enemies they were fighting, but she understood how important Jaime was to everyone.

"I honestly doubt his family will exchange Arya and Sansa if he is nearly beaten and starved to death." She said in an effort to further make her point.

"He pushed my brother from a window, Dimeria. Why should I treat him with anything other than hatred?" Robb spat out angrily.

"Because you want your sisters back." Dimeria answered firmly.

Robb turned away, hating that she was right in this matter. Robb was finding himself becoming increasingly annoyed with Dimeria lately; she was too smart for her own good. They had moved the encampment further into the Riverlands, defeating every Lannister army they encountered and each one increasing the moral of his men. Thankfully, he had Dimeria by his side, many times advising him on complicated matters, but she was bold. She often made him look stupid, questioning his authority and the choices he made. It wouldn't have been so bad if she weren't right all the time, but she was. He knew he shouldn't have been getting angry with her; she was ultimately helping his cause, but he couldn't ignore how inferior she made him feel sometimes.

"I can tend to him to make sure your men don't further harm him. You need him alive." Dimeria offered him.

He nodded with his back still turned to her. Robb wished she would come up behind him, grab his hand and comfort him, tell him that although times were hard...it would get better. He knew she wouldn't though, that was not who Dimeria was. There were times, very rare times, when Dimeria softened up and showed her sensitive side (It was very small in comparison to her tough side.). It was those moments Robb treasured and they were coming more often, making the rough patches worthwhile.

Dimeria walked out quickly, causing a loud swish of the tent flap. The hustle and bustle of the camp had significantly increased the more battles Robb's army fought and Dimeria had taken it upon herself to help with the wounded. She had nothing better to do and she was fairly good at tending to people's injuries. Robb was a fierce leader, but also merciful; he kept many of the still surviving enemies as hostages rather than executing them. Dimeria sometimes wondered if it was better to just end their lives, for most of them seemed pretty miserable sitting in the mud and their own shit. It was one of the many things Dimeria had argued with Robb about, but he was adamant about keeping them alive.

Seeing many of the other handmaidens running about to wounded men, Dimeria grabbed a large bowl filled with water, some rags, and some cloth to wrap the injuries up. By the time she reached the Kingslayer, her hair was trickled with sweat and she had already had to get more water 3 times. She felt it was her duty to at least try to keep Jaime in healthy condition, so she grabbed a couple pieces of bread to feed him; he most likely hadn't been fed in several days. When she got to the post he was tied up to that was also surrounded by a small wooden cage, the portal to enter by had already been swung open by a guard who was currently kicking Jaime in the ribs.

"What do you think you're doing?!" She snapped at the guard, immediately grabbing his attention. Jaime remained slumped in the ground, groaning slightly.

"Lady Dimeria! Uh, the Kingslayer...he was-"

"He was what?" She said impatiently.

"A couple of us were trying to train...he wouldn't shut his damn mouth, so I decided to shut it for him." The guard said.

"I was merely trying to give you some tips." Jaime moaned as he sat back up.

Dimeria sighed audibly and wiped the back of her hand across her forehead.

"What is your name?" She asked the guard.

"Tulkas, of House-"

"I don't care." She interrupted him. He pinched his lips together and looked down at his feet. "Tulkas, do you realize who this is?"

"Of course, he-"

"Jaime Lannister, commonly referred to as the best swordsman in Westeros. If he is giving advice with a sword, you should most likely take it."

"The only advice I will willingly take is from you, Lady Dimeria." Tulkas said trying to sound brave.

Dimeria rolled her eyes and tucked her white hairs behind her ear.

"Go about your duties, Tulkas. And drop the, 'lady' from my name." She told him as he began to walk away.

She walked up to Jaime and knelt down, gently settling all of the supplies on the ground.

"Don't like being called, Lady?" Jaime questioned her.

"I'm not of a high born house, there's no need for it." She answered. "Drink." She held up a small cup filled with cool water up to Jaime's lips. He gave her a suspicious glance, but then willingly gulped it down.

"He was rather smitten with you, wasn't he?" He asked, receiving a questioning look from Dimeria. "I mean the fact that he 'only takes advice from you'." He said mockingly. "You must be a gifted fighter...my brother said you were."

"I might be." She answered curtly as she dipped some of the cloth in the bowl of water.

"You and I could fight. That would surely test your skills." Jaime said mischievously.

"I thought you and I agreed that the men were idiots...not me."

"That's true, can't blame me for trying though." He said with a smile.

"I can blame you for the poor attempt." Dimeria said smiling back and rolling her eyes.

Jaime laughed in response and watched Dimeria as she readied her things. She scooted closer to him on her knees, slightly bumping his side. He winced visibly and said:

"Ah! Careful, I think he may have bruised my ribs."

"I'll take a look at them later." She mumbled as she pushed his hair aside, trying to get at the cut along his face. It wasn't deep and most likely wouldn't scar too badly, but she wanted to make sure it didn't fester. She wiped the dirt from his face, revealing his golden skin and gently dabbed at the cut. Once again, Jaime winced.

"Could you be more careful?" He snipped at her.

"Could you stop complaining?" She snapped back, frustration evident in her voice. She sat back on her heels and gave Jaime a serious look.

"Ya know Lannister, most of these people want you dead. It took me a long while to convince Robb not to let his men beat you to death or burn you at the stake!"

"And why would you do that?" He asked curiously.

"Because…" She said going back to cleaning his wound, "Robb needs you alive and in good condition if he wants to get his sisters back."

"Really? Are you sure it's not because me and my charming personality have grown on you?" He asked sarcastically.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but no...that's not it." She paused and then said, "Actually...I'm not sorry to disappoint you."

"Such rude behavior from a little lady." Jaime teased her with his customary smirk on his face.

"I'm not 'a little lady'." She said mimicking his voice.

"Ah right, you're a little warrior."

Not having any better response, Dimeria proceeded to push down harder on his cut, causing him to move away in pain. She smirked contently after getting the reaction she wanted and then grabbed a piece of bread for him.

"Eat this." She said holding it up to his mouth. "Then I'll take a look at your ribs."

He chewed quickly, relishing the simple taste of bread. Jaime never thought he would miss such a common food, but after not being fed for several days, bread looked like a stuffed pig. Dimeria lifted up his tunic, making Jaime hiss in pain, but she ignored it. His ribs were a little bruised and after poking and rubbing her hands along his sides, she was able to tell they weren't broken.

"Try to keep your mouth shut and maybe they'll be able to heal without you getting them broken." She said offering him the second piece of bread.

He rolled his eyes and with bread in his mouth asked, "So what did it take for you to convince the young wolf to not let his men beat me?"

"Not much, just my brilliant mind and good looks." She said with a triumphant smile.

Jaime gave a loud and very sarcastic laugh, drawing curious looks their way and earning an annoyed glare from Dimeria.

"What's so hard to believe about that, Lannister? Are those not qualities that you pride yourself on having?" She asked him.

He stopped laughing and eyed her curiously. "You are the only person here that doesn't call me Kingslayer. Why is that?"

She shrugged her shoulders and began gathering her supplies. "He wasn't my king, why should I care?" She stood up and tucked her hair behind her ear. She began walking out when she turned back and said:

"Try not to anger the guards; I won't always be here to save your ass." She said with a smirk.

"Oh, I have a feeling you will be, my little warrior." He called to her back.

Jaime watched her until she was just a silhouette on the horizon. He began chuckling to himself. It was quite ironic how she didn't care that he killed the Mad King. After all, it was her own father that he stabbed.

…

"Stannis Baratheon has laid claim to the throne." Robb said impassively.

"Who?" Dimeria asked. She felt a warm hand on her own and looked into Catelyn Stark's eyes.

"He is the elder brother of the late king, Robert Baratheon. His younger brother is Renley Baratheon."

Dimeria nodded in understanding and turned back to Robb thoughtfully. He had set down the letter he received and nervously began pacing about the room. Eyeing him quizzically, Lady Stark reached across and grabbed the letter to read it for herself. Dimeria observed her reaction attentively, trying to get a read on how Catelyn was feeling without having to ask. Catelyn's face immediately paled and she held her breath, her hands shaking quite visibly. Dimeria tensed her body, not comfortable with other people's feelings and she looked to Robb for help. He had already set his gaze on his mother and was practically radiating concern.

"What is it?" Dimeria drawled out slowly.

"The acting king, Joffrey Baratheon...is no Baratheon." Catelyn answered with an unsure voice.

"And whose child is he…" Dimeria asked.

"The Kingslayer's." Robb growled bitterly.

Surprise and disgust filled Dimeria's mind. "You mean he has been fucking his own sister?!" She said loudly and causing Catelyn to flinch.

"Dimeria." Robb snapped at her.

"I'm sorry…" Dimeria said regretting her words. "It's just...I can't believe-" She stopped not able to voice her thoughts.

"So Joffrey is not the rightful king." Catelyn said. "And not only has Stannis laid claim to the throne, but also Renley. What are you going to do Robb?"

"I'm not sure yet." Robb said honestly. "Renley has a larger army, but Stannis is more experienced in wars." He said weighing out his options.

A shadowed look came over his face then, darkening his Tully blue eyes and making his already firm jaw appear harder. His expression looked almost as if anger had a face; as if anger itself had been personified. All the pieces suddenly fit together in his mind of why everything was happening, why it had all began.

"That's why he pushed Bran." He said darkly. Catelyn peered at him, not understand his words, but Dimeria knew immediately what he meant and she closed her eyes mournfully.

"Bran saw them together." She whispered, quietly finishing Robb's thoughts.

Catelyn covered her mouth, a sob escaping her mouth as tears began streaming down her cheeks. Robb narrowed his eyes and flared his nostrils, rage bubbling inside him, but he knew he couldn't act out on it; he was a leader, a king...he needed to handle this diplomatically. He looked back to his mother who was now steadily crying next to Dimeria, who looked absolutely stunned at what had just been revealed, and then walked out of the tent.

Dimeria took one last look at Catelyn and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, hoping her touch would be enough, but she knew it wouldn't be. She quietly walked out of the tent and back to her own, wondering where it was Robb was going. Sleep claimed her quickly that night, but it was filled with strange dreams that made her toss and turn on the bed.

It started out like the same dream she had several months ago at The Wall with her being surrounded by fire. When it lashed out at her though, it didn't burn her like it did before; in fact, she could hardly feel it. She was able to defend herself, but she quickly tired and fell to the ground in exhaustion. Wind rushed over her body like in her last dream, but it was warm and soothing this time. She sat up straight in her bed, her breath coming in rapid pants. It was still late at night and the only thing she could see was a mysterious glowing coming from her tent. It seemed to come from her dragon eggs and for some reason, that brought her comfort. She rolled over on her side so she would be able to face them as she thought over her strange dream. Eventually, the glowing began to blur at the edges and her eyelids became heavier and once again, sleep claimed her body. For reasons unknown to her, her second dream that night involved Jaime Lannister.

* * *

_**Remember to leave reviews, I love reading them! Hope you all are enjoying!**_

_**Until next time...**_


	15. Chapter 16

_**Sorry for the longer wait than usual, I got pretty busy this last week :) Big thanks to **__**Beleram1238, ManonVarendaz, ghg, Katie-Lady16, **__**and **__**ZabuzasGirl**__** for reviewing the last chapter!**_

_**Enjoy part 15!**_

* * *

Warm breaths exploded onto her face rapidly, waking her from her strange dreams.

"Grey Wind!" She heard a rough whisper enter her tent and she sat up to see Robb poking his head in.

Robb saw her sit up and so he entered into her tent fully.

"I apologize, I did not mean for him to wake you."

"It's alright." She said with a tired smile as she ran her hand down Grey Wind's soft fur coat. A large yawn escaped her mouth and stretched her arms upward, causing the dire wolf to shift away from her.

"Where did you go off to last night?" She asked Robb.

"I had business to attend to." He answered discreetly.

Dimeria rolled her eyes, not satisfied with the answer. She didn't necessarily blame him though, she kept things from people all the time; it was only fair that they should be able to do the same, but Dimeria was selfish sometimes...she wanted to know and when she didn't find out, she usually got pretty angry.

"Yes, well so do I. Excuse me, my lord." She said mockingly trying to walk past him. She stopped and looked back saying, "Wait, it's your grace now, isn't it? I apologize."

He pulled her back by the arm, not releasing his grip even though she was right up against his chest.

"What is that supposed to mean?" He questioned her.

"Nothing, your grace. I'm just giving you the proper respect a king deserves."

Confusion flashed across Robb's face. "I never asked to be king, Dimeria."

"And I never asked to be a bastard child, but it still happened." She said icily.

"Why are you acting like this?" He asked raising his voice and slightly tightening his grip.

"I could ask you the same thing!" She said wincing from his vice-like grip. "You think you're too good for me now, every time I have an opinion on something you treat me like a child!"

Robb's face dropped suddenly and his handle on her wrist relaxed.

"Just because I'm a bastard child doesn't mean I can't help. Stop pretending you're some high and mighty god, because you're not. You're barely even a king Robb!" She shouted.

Instead of retreating from her like most people would have done, Robb pushed Dimeria towards him by the small of her back and stopped her words with a hard kiss. The kiss stole Dimeria's breath away and she hated her body for betraying her mind with the physical desire he ignited within. Dimeria kissed him back just as hard, allowing his tongue entrance into her mouth. The passion she felt at the moment didn't leave any room for her mind to comprehend the confusion, the questioning sense as to why Robb was kissing her like this. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, never wanting to let go of him. Robb broke the kiss and looked deeply into her eyes, tears filling his own. Dimeria leaned her head back a little, completely taken off guard from the sudden emotion from Robb. She moved her hand to caress his cheek, gaining a kiss on her palm from him as he leaned into her touch. His eyes closed and single tear rolled down his cheek.

"I need you Dimeria. I can handle my bannermen and the soldiers losing respect for me like that, but not you. I need you to believe in me." He whispered so quietly that Dimeria almost had to hold her own breath to hear him.

Dimeria had no words to console him, truth be told she was still upset with him, but she held it within and buried it deep down inside almost as if she was waiting for the right time to unleash it...just like she did with the all of her feelings towards Robb.

She couldn't afford to let her feelings cloud her judgment. Emotions made people vulnerable which was what was happening to her whenever she was with Robb. But every time she tried to distance herself from him, a hole formed in her heart. It ripped and tore every time they fought and she would find herself missing him. Deep down she knew she needed to put an end to it, but for right now, she was perfectly content just being in his arms.

* * *

"Lady Dimeria?"

Dimeria turned around to see Tulkas walking up to her.

"Yes?" She asked. In her hands was another bowl of water, a cup, and some more bread for Jaime. She had already finished seeing to the other prisoners and was ready to finish up with him.

"One of the prisoners was giving one of the handmaidens, Maia, a hard time...taunting her and threatening to rape her."

"What am I supposed to do about it?" She asked indignantly as they walked closer to Jaime's post.

"Well, the girl is in tears and doesn't want to tend to him anymore." Tulkas informed her.

Dimeria rolled her eyes and said, "And you're telling me this because…"

"She was wondering if you could see to his wounds."

She scoffed and stopped in front of Jaime's post, who had been listening to the conversation since he had nothing else to do.

"Tell her to suck it up and deal with it. I have more important things to worry about than her sensitivity." She snapped.

"But, Lady Dimeria…"

"I can do it." A voice said.

Dimeria turned to see Talisa, one of the other handmaidens behind her. She was a foreign girl and one of the few people Dimeria didn't hate in the encampment.

"Are you sure?" Tulkas asked Talisa. She nodded in confirmation and gave a small smile to Dimeria who returned it gratefully. Tulkas walked away, leaving Dimeria alone with Jaime.

Before kneeling down next to him, Dimeria looked up to the sky; something she had been doing for most of the day. There was a comet in the sky, trailing red behind it like a flowing cape of blood. She settled down next to Jaime who was still softly chuckling about the way Dimeria had responded to situation with the prisoner threatening Maia.

"You do realize that most women aren't accustomed to getting threatened with rape the way you are?" He asked her with a smirk.

"They better get used to it if they're going to be tending to prisoners." Dimeria said annoyedly. In her mind, the world would be a much better place if women weren't so damn sensitive all the time. Irritation still itched at Dimeria's mind, threatening her with no relief until she scratched at it.

"I don't understand why people are like that, mainly women!" She said as she wiped to the grime off of Jaime's brow. He looked to her, interested in what she had to say.

"I guarantee men wouldn't threaten to rape women if they knew that the girls could defend themselves. Being sensitive and-and…"

"Wimpy?" Jaime offered.

"Yes! Being sensitive and wimpy doesn't get you anywhere. People will only take advantage of you if they realize you can't stand up for yourself. It's infuriating! Just...toughen up and get over it." She said angrily.

"I agree." Jaime said after considering her words. "It's especially annoying when women want the same rights as men, yet they still want the coddling when they get treated equally as one."

"Exactly! If you want to be treated equally, don't be such a baby. I mean, men aren't all that great, but they go through a lot and you all end up coming out stronger. Women go through one rough patch and act as if their life is over and-"

Dimeria stopped at the sound of Jaime's laughter and frowned at him.

"What's so funny, Lannister?"

"Nothing, nothing it's just…" He looked at her while still smiling and asked, "how long have you kept that all bottled up inside?"

Dimeria thought about it and realized she hadn't really ranted about anything like that for months now, not since she had left Castle Black. Now that she took a moment, she realized there was no longer any tightness in her chest; she felt free and relaxed, not tense and angry like she usually was. Although, surprise also ran through her veins at how easily she had spoken to Jaime. She had been with Robb for several months now and not once had she felt comfortable enough to rave as she just had. Perhaps it was the fact that she wasn't afraid of what Jaime might think of her like she was deep down with Robb. Maybe it was even because she felt Robb had enough going on without her unloading her anger on him, or maybe it was just because she didn't really even like Jaime; he was just someone she had to tend to.

"A long time, I guess." She breathed out. Again, Jaime chuckled and willingly let Dimeria wipe the dirt from his face.

His cut was starting heal so she didn't pay much attention to it, most of her attention was still focused on the comet in the sky. Jaime noticed her diverted gaze and began wondering what she was so interested in.

"Aren't you supposed to be cleaning my wound?" He asked impudently.

"What do you think it means?" Dimeria asked still looking upwards.

"What are you talking about?" He asked resting the back of his head against the post and closing his eyes.

"The comet, dumbass."

"Watch your words, little warrior. One day I'll be out of these chains and I might just repay you." He threatened calmly.

Dimeria only shook her head and rolled her eyes. She wasn't sure how she felt about Jaime's new nickname for her, but at least it was better than being called, "Lady Dimeria."

"Some of the handmaidens were talking about it. They had different theories about what it meant." Dimera continued. She looked to Jaime, wondering if he was even listening, for his eyes were still closed and his head still rested on the post.

"And what did these handmaidens say?" Jaime asked, giving an answer to Dimeria's unspoken speculation.

"One said it represents Robb's victory. Another said it means something about your family's triumph in the south. Some others said that it means that there are dragons again." Dimeria said the last one with particular interest and excitement. Jaime opened one eye to look at her face, not really surprised that she was intrigued by the prospect of dragons; she was a Targaryen after all.

"Dragons? That's ridiculous." He said closing his eyes and relaxing again.

Anger steamed through her pores at his comment.

"Others believe it indicates how your son Joffrey-"

Dimeria clamped her mouth and shot her eyes back to Jaime. He had since then raised his head once more and his eyes were very alert.

"Hm, so even you know about that?"

Dimeria looked down and began fiddling with the cloth she had grabbed while she nervously bit her lip.

"I don't know why I'm surprised, the Stark boy tells you everything doesn't he?" Jaime said with a cruel smirk.

"I didn't mean for that to come out." Dimeria muttered.

"You should probably get some control over your mouth...it could get you into trouble one day." Jaime warned her with what seemed like friendly advice, but at the same time a threat.

"Yes, I've been told." She said with a sigh. "I'm sorry. It's not my place to judge you for your actions."

Dimeria hated apologizing, she had way too much pride to ever get the hang of it. Dimeria enjoyed being right, who didn't? And every time she was wrong she felt embarrassed, angry, ashamed, and many other things all at the same time. She would rather have someone rip off her fingernails one by one than willingly apologize. Yet with Jaime, she knew he could most likely end her life if he got the chance; she wasn't going to risk that. She looked to his eyes after she apologized and was surprised he wasn't seething with anger. His emerald green eyes were entrancing and she wondered what they would look like if he had them open to their full capacity, but they were narrowed slightly, looking at her curiously and maybe even with a little appreciation. Although the appreciation was hidden from Dimeria.

She heard Jaime sigh and he looked down at the bread and water.

"Feed me the bread and water and perhaps I'll forgive you." He said with his customary smirk back on his face.

Dimeria offered him a small smile and brought the cup to his lips, watching him drink eagerly. She gave him the bread and after he chewed he asked:

"So, I take it you like dragons?"

"I find them fascinating, yes." Dimeria confirmed trying to hold back her excitement.

"How did you come to learn of them? Surely they didn't teach you about them at The Wall?"

"Robb told me about them." She said simply. Jaime chuckled to himself as he took notice of how Dimeria neglected to use Robb's proper title.

"I also, um...I also have 2 dragon eggs." Dimeria said hesitantly. Robb was the only other person that knew about her dragons eggs and she wasn't sure if it was safe to tell anyone else for fear of them being stolen. Jaime was a prisoner though, he wouldn't be able to take them.

Jaime raised his brows in surprise and even felt his jaw drop a little bit. Only a month or so ago, the late King Robert had ordered the death of Daenarys Targaryen for raising an army across the Narrow Sea; Jaime could only imagine what he would have done if he had known her half sister was within the Seven Kingdoms.

"Impressive." Jaime commended her. "How did you come by those?"

"Well I-" Dimera began, but she was rudely interrupted by someone shouting her name.

"Dimeria!"

She turned to see Robb walking towards her and wasn't sure if she felt excitement or maybe even a little nausea; it was most likely both. She stood up quickly and looked back down to Jaime who had a rather disgruntled look upon his face. Robb stopped just outside of Jaime's cage and glared down at him vehemently. Jaime was the first the break the tense silence that had since then filled the air.

"Ah, Robb Stark it's good to see you. I see that you didn't bring your dire wolf along this time." Jaime said drawing a perturbed sigh from Robb. "He was a very nice addition to your visit last night."

Dimeria closed her eyes; at least she knew where Robb had been last night...apparently confronting the Kingslayer.

"Did you need something?" Dimeria asked Robb in an effort to diffuse the bad energy that was quickly brewing up like a thunderstorm.

Robb opened his mouth as if to speak, but warily glanced back down to Jaime, obviously not comfortable speaking in front of the Kingslayer. Jaime only smirked in response, noticing the hesitancy and looking to Dimeria to see what she would do.

"He is a prisoner, Robb. He will only find out what you are about to tell later on from the other guards." Dimeria snapped.

Robb sighed and clenched his fists at his sides before speaking. "There is a Lannister camp just outside of Oxcross. We attack them tonight."

Dimeria nodded, understanding that Robb was intending a surprise attack. She risked a glance down to Jaime who had resumed resting his head on the post in order to look nonchalant, while on the inside he was panicking and hoping for a way out of his imprisonment.

"What do you need me to do?" She asked Robb.

"Ready the Silent Sisters and the other handmaidens to tend to the wounded. We'll need as much help as we can get."

Dimeria nodded to Robb and made a move to follow him when he turned to walk away. He turned to face Dimeria just a few feet from Jaime's post, causing Jaime to strain his ears to hear their conversation.

"I appreciate that you're trying to help me get my sisters back by keeping him healthy, but you don't have to tend to him...not if you don't want to." Robb said tucking her hair behind her ear.

Dimeria closed her eyes and reveled in his touch. She wasn't sure if she was still angry with Robb, but she knew that it probably wouldn't last too much longer if she was; Dimeria cared for him too much.

"It's okay." She assured Robb as she covered his hand with her own. "It really isn't too horrible."

Robb gave her a sweet smile, one that he saved just for Dimeria and she knew it too. It reached his eyes and always managed to get Dimeria to smile back at him. He placed a kiss on her forehead and leaned back asking:

"Will you join me for dinner before we leave tonight?" He asked.

"Of course."

She watched Robb walk away, quietly scolding herself. She didn't understand why she allowed herself to dismiss such important things when it came to Robb, it blew her mind. Sighing loudly, she turned to go back to Jaime's post and gather her things. She was surprised he didn't say anything right away, for she knew that he had been watching, but he just kept silent and watched her. It was just when she was about to leave that he asked her a question.

"You really care for him, don't you?" He asked amusedly. He laughed and shook his head.

She also laughed, although it was a poor attempt and was mainly humorless. A sad look came in her eyes when she answered.

"Yes. I wish I didn't though."

…

The night was filled with a restless energy that night, the men were anxious for the upcoming battle. Dimeria was greeted by many of the soldiers as she made her way to Robb's tent for dinner. Whispers and and mumblings filled her ears more frequently than the buzzing of bugs and the chirpings of birds. Once she made it to the entrance of Robb's tent, she stopped just outside after hearing a heated conversation between him and his mother.

"Robb, I have not seen the boys for months now. Bran and Rickon need me."

"If Renly sides with us, we'll outnumber them 2 to 1. When they feels the jaws beginning to shut, they'll sue for peace. We'll get the girls back and then we'll all go home...we will all be together again soon, I promise."

Dimeria thought she felt her heart leap into her throat when she heard Robb speak. She knew Robb had been intending to send his mother to make negotiations with Renly Baratheon, but she didn't know it would affect her like this.

_Then we'll all go home…_

Who did he mean by 'we?' Dimeria asked herself. The war didn't matter to her as much as it did to other people, but she wanted it to end just as well. She had never really thought about what she would do when she wasn't with Robb anymore, after all, he had promised to go south with her to help discover who her parents were, but after what he had just said, it didn't sound like he planned on having anything to do with Dimeria after the war was over. Hot tears sprung to her eyes and a tightness formed in her stomach that she could not release.

_You idiot!_ A voice screamed in her head...and the voice was right. She couldn't believe she had let herself believe Robb would actually be there for her; apparently Dimeria was just someone to cast aside when she was no longer relevant. Footsteps began coming towards her from the tent and she quickly fled the area. She didn't know where she was going, just that she couldn't let anyone see her like this, it showed weakness and vulnerability; she couldn't afford to be in that position. Before she knew it, Dimeria was crouching on the ground, needles in her lungs as she struggled for breath. Tears still stung her eyes and her throat felt as if it were on fire from the lack of oxygen.

"Are you alright, little warrior?"

Dimeria looked up to see a genuinely concerned Jamie Lannister peering at her in the darkness.

"I'm fine." She lied to him, trying desperately to catch her breath.

"You're a horrible liar, do you know that?" He asked.

She laughed cruelly and thought to herself…

_Robb Stark is a much better liar than I am._

* * *

_**Sorry I'm starting to make Dimeria hate her feelings towards Robb, but that's just the person she is :( I love Robb so I hate having to do that.**_

_**Some of you guys have been asking who Dimeria is going to end up with in the end (Jon, Jaime, or Robb) And...well, there's still so much I want to do with this story, so I decided that it's going to be a surprise! I really still haven't decided myself either, but I have an idea.**_

_**Remember to leave reviews, I loved getting more from you guys last time!**_

_**Until next time...**_


	16. Chapter 17

_**A/N: Part 16 is here! I honestly think this is one of my better chapters and I really enjoyed writing it.**_

_**Thank you to **__**ZabuzasGirl and smilin steph **__**for the reviews!**_

_**Hope you all enjoy!**_

* * *

"We're going to need to cut it off."

"I'll go find some more cloth." Talisa said as she quickly sped off for more supplies.

Dimeria inspected the Lannister warrior's injury on his foot. It was deep and jagged like the mouth of a dark cave; if she didn't amputate it now, it would quickly fester and infect the whole leg, most likely resulting in the man losing his entire leg or possibly dying.

"W-what do you mean?" The poor man stuttered. "I-I can't lose my foot!"

"If I don't take it now you will lose your entire leg." She explained to him, but the man was in shock. He began crying out frantically, begging Dimeria to spare his foot for if he lost it, he would never fight again.

"You're also never going to fight if you lose your entire leg! And trust me, the leg is much harder to cut through." She muttered the last part quietly, becoming stressed out over this one man.

Two members of the Silent Sisters were on either side of the man and were readying a blade for Dimeria. Seeing the jagged blade being handed to Dimeria, the man started wildly flailing his limbs as he desperately made an attempt to get away. Dimeria urgently yelled at him to stay still, but the man became tunnel visioned; he no longer saw reason, nor did he see that his wound could probably kill him if Dimeria didn't treat him.

Another body appeared closer to the warrior's head, firmly placing hands on his shoulders. Dimeria looked up to see a battle dirty Robb trying his hardest to keep the man still. A painful stabbing entered Dimeria's chest when she realized it was him. She had never joined him for dinner the night before and didn't get the chance to speak with him about what she overheard. Honestly, she didn't want to talk about it. She was afraid she might just fall for Robb all over again. It was better if she distanced herself from him.

Talisa quickly came running back with plenty of cloth and more supplies to assist Dimeria. The man was still writhing underneath the many hands that held him down, resembling a wriggling worm desperately trying to find its way back into the ground.

"Put this in your mouth." Robb said stuffing a thick, rolled up piece of cloth into the man's mouth. "That way you don't bite your own tongue off."

Robb grimly nodded to Dimeria, signalling her to begin, so she did. The horrid screams that came from his mouth were gut wrenching, almost blocking out all other sounds from Dimeria's ears. A wet, grinding noise gurgled up from his leg and splatters of blood droplets found their way onto Dimeria's already grimy face. The screams began echoing into the dark chasms of her ears and eventually her conscious mind drifted away from reality, delving into thoughts of her own. This warrior was really only a boy, hardly even Dimeria's age and here he was, fighting a war between kings. He probably never even asked for this and if he had, he had no idea what it was he was getting himself into. Dimeria pitied him. This was between a handful of rulers, not thousands of their people. With a sudden lurch forward, Dimeria severed the foot from the rest of his limb. By now, the man had fainted from the pain and Robb ordered the Silent Sisters to clean everything up. Dimeria stood up shakily and began wiping the blood from her hands and face as best she could.

"You did well back there." Robb said as he moved to catch up with Dimeria.

"He didn't deserve that." She muttered.

"What do you mean?" Robb asked confusedly. "You may have just saved his life. He-"

"I don't mean that, I mean..._**this!**_" Dimeria said moving her arms in a wide arc around her. "He was just a boy, Robb. What did he ever do to deserve losing his foot...to have to fight in this war?!"

"Dimeria, he's a Lannister warrior. He's on **their** side...he's my enemy."

"No. Joffrey is your enemy and maybe the rest of his family, but not that boy. None of these people are your enemies." She turned away from him, but turned back around saying one last thing.

"Robb, you think you're doing well by keeping all of these men alive, but I guarantee you they would find more solace by finding death rather than being imprisoned and surrounded by your men."

"I'm doing the best I can, Dimeria." Robb sighed with defeat.

Dimeria only shook her head and walked away from him to climb onto the back of a wagon that was pulling out of the battlefield. Robb watched her retreating back as a dark cloud of confusion and misery formed over his head. Dimeria never came into his tent the night before for dinner like they had planned and she had been avoiding him for most of the day. He had no clue why. And now with the words she just spoke, she brought on a new kind of guilt he hadn't felt before. Flashes of the warrior screaming in pain came back to him. Had he done that to him? Surely he sustained the injury from another man, but that wasn't the point Dimeria was making and Robb knew it. Robb was the one that declared the war, not that poor boy. Heavy weights pressed down on his shoulders making his breathing come heavier and his heart beat faster. Was all of this really his fault?

Was Robb actually a murderer?

…

She loved him.

She loved him, but she just didn't know it. How could she? She had never experienced any type of love before in her life. Dimeria sank under the warm water in the tub and blew air out slowly.

_That doesn't change what he did, though…_ A voice told her.

She shook her head and came surging back up, sending mini tidal waves over the edge of the tub. Dimeria could never hate Robb like she wished she could. If she hated him, it would make her leaving so much easier, but she didn't hate him, she...how did she feel about Robb?

Dimeria slapped the water in anger, although it did nothing to relieve any of it. She remembered the time when Robb said he would wait for her; he would wait a thousand years if that's what it took, but Dimeria didn't take him seriously then-now she did. He always tried so hard to be with her, but she always rejected him; she just couldn't bring herself to return his feelings. What kind of a person did that make her?

_Cold and heartless…_ A voice answered her unspoken question.

She shook her head realizing that the voice, her own conscience, was right. Sighing heavily, Dimeria finished wiping the thick grime that had coated her body and stepped out of the tub.

"You are cold and heartless, Dimeria." She said aloud to herself. "That's all you'll ever be."

After she had dressed, she peered around the tent.

"I guess that's decided then." She told herself. Moving quickly, she began to pack her things (What little she had) and straightening everything out. She looked out of her tent and saw that it was still the middle of a very bright day, so she decided she would leave with the cover of night; she was always better in the dark anyway.

The day moved slowly, making her decision harder and harder to come to terms with. One voice told her to stay because of her feelings for Robb, while another said it was more important to find her parents. She quickly grew impatient, willing the sun to set faster in order for her to just get everything over with. She was so preoccupied with her mental stirrings, that she never made it out of her tent to tend to the prisoners.

"Dimeria?"

She looked up to see Talisa standing in the entrance of her tent, a concerned look upon her face.

"Yes?" Dimeria said trying dismiss her complicated thoughts.

"We're running out of supplies. I need more silk for stitching and-"

"Talisa, I would ask Robb about this. Not me." She interrupted.

"But, you've always been in charge of these kinds of things." Talisa said with a small smile.

"I know." Dimeria said with a sigh. "I just have a lot on my mind. Besides, Robb would know where to get these things...I'm not sure I do."

"King Robb."

"What?" Dimeria asked.

"He's king, Dimeria." Talisa answered with a small laugh.

"Right. I guess I never learned any manners." Dimeria said placing a nervous smile on her face to hide the guilt she felt. She couldn't even muster up enough respect to use proper titles, she really was a cold and heartless person.

Talisa smiled kindly over to Dimeria, hoping she was sending happy vibes to her. Talisa thought Dimeria was an odd girl, but she didn't blame her; after all, she was raised on The Wall, that's not exactly a normal life. She liked Dimeria though. She thought she was brave for not changing the type of person she was, for standing up to men in world that looked down on women; that was what Talisa wanted, but she was just never quite as brave as Dimeria.

Something was off about Dimeria today and Talisa could tell, she just didn't know what it was. She eyed Dimeria curiously, but she seemed to be avoiding her gaze.

"Well, I'll just go speak with the King then." She told Dimeria.

Dimeria nodded and went back to her tornadic whirlwind of thoughts. Round and round it went, circling her mind and almost driving her crazy until finally, the sun went down.

…

_**Robb,**_

_** I'm truly sorry things had to come to this, to me leaving this note, but I had no choice; I need to find my parents. I want you to know that you did what you wanted...you changed me. Before I met you, I would not have regretted leaving, but now I do...you did that. But what I regret more is making you wait for me like you promised you would do. I believe with all my heart that you are the first person I have ever come close to loving, but I fear that it would be too late for me to actually realize it. I care for you more than I have ever cared for anyone else, but you deserve someone who can return your love and I'm afraid that person is not me...at least not right now. **_

_** If we ever meet again, which I hope we do, I pray that you do not hate me for this, but I understand if you do. I wish you all the luck possible, Robb Stark. Do not forget me, for I will never forget you.**_

_**-Dimeria**_

Dimeria folded the letter up and held it tightly in her hand; she planned on giving it to Robb herself, but he had already left for the Crag to make negotiations, along with Talisa for more medical supplies. Therefore, Dimeria chose to just leave the note in Robb's tent. She thought it better that way anyway, it would be much too difficult to see Robb's reaction if he had been there for her to deliver. A cold surge of air swept across her face as she stepped out of her tent with her pack swung over her shoulder. The tingling thrill of a new adventure travelled up her spine, but gnawing ache resided in her stomach at the same time; she didn't know why, perhaps because she was nervous?

_One last walk…_ She told herself.

The sun had already finished half of its descent, casting eerily shaped shadows upon the cold ground. Only the gods knew what lurked just within the darkness of the gloom, but Dimeria didn't think about that, she thought about her time within the camp. Around the boundary she walked, quietly reminiscing all the times she had. At first all she could do was stir up trouble, but with time she earned herself a respectable position among the soldiers; it never occurred to her that she was about to throw all of that away. The first stars peeked out into the night, signaling the time of the moon was near. Securing her pack over her shoulders, making sure her scimitars were strapped, and her note still in hand, Dimeria began to make her way back to Robb's tent.

She came from behind the prisoners' area; another place she had spent plenty of time in, but wasn't necessarily poignant in her mind. Instead, her mind was focused on the letter she was about to leave. Was she really going to leave Robb? Even in the message she had admitted her feelings for Robb, surely she couldn't just easily walk away from that. Dimeria soon she realized that's why her stomach ached...she was guilty and scared. Heavy doubts suddenly began forming in her mind. Would Robb even care if she was gone? After all, he was more than ready to be back home in Winterfell. Did Dimeria really want to risk that?

Her hands became shaky and her footsteps started to falter.

_What are you doing?!_ Her mind screamed at her. And truth be told, she didn't know. Nothing was clear in her mind at the moment. All she knew was that _**this**_ was the reason she hated becoming emotionally involved. Everything became complicated. Choices become so much harder than they were before. She clenched the letter in her hand and she stopped walking...and that's when she heard him.

"It's like stepping into a dream you've been dreaming for as long as you can remember and finding out that the dream is more real than your life."

Dimeria didn't realize she was right behind Jaime Lannister's post and he, along with Alton Lannister, didn't realize it either. Jaime's words stopped Dimeria short and cleared a pathway in her mind. By the gods she wanted to feel like that. She wanted to enter her dream of finally finding her parents and figuring out who she was. Ever since she overheard Jeor and Aemon speaking of her past it was all Dimeria could ever think about. How stupid she was for thinking one man could ever mean more to her. Finding her parents and realizing that dream is more real than her life would **complete** her life; it was all she wanted.

_By the Gods, Dimeria, you are a fool! _The voice in her head laughed. Of course she had to leave and find her parents, Robb was only sidetracking her. Her feelings for Robb were strong, yes, but her desire to find her parents was stronger; stronger than a mighty earthquake, hell, stronger than the Seven gods themselves! Her epiphany blew her mind and she still stood behind the post, dumb stricken at her revelation.

A mighty clash and wet gurgle similar to the sound her cutting of the man's leg had made earlier sounded over by Jaime. Dimeria widened her eyes in disbelief as Jaime beat his own cousin's head in. Was he honestly trying to escape right now?! Her heart pounded, but her head remained quiet as that one voice spoke to her again…

_Aren't __**you**__ escaping right now, also…?_

It was a split second decision. She didn't even know what was going on. The guard on duty at that time, Torrhen Karstark, heard the commotion and quickly ran to assess the situation. He drew his sword, ready to attack Jaime for the brutal murder of Alton. Jaime readied himself; he had been planning this for a while, all he had to do was strangle Torrhen and he would be free. He fisted his hands and pulled the chain around his wrists taught, but it was all for naught. A heavy _**thunk!**_ resonated from behind Torrhen and Dimeria was finally revealed behind him, much to Jaime's surprise. Disappointment and irritation ran through Jaime at the sight of the young warrior, she would be a much harder opponent than the Karstark boy.

"Are you really going to make me kill you, little warrior? I'd really rather not." Jaime said.

"A Lannister always pays their debts?" Dimeria asked hastily.

"What?" Jaime asked, furrowing his brows. He hardly expected to even get a word out of Dimeria.

"Just answer the question!" She ordered him.

"Yes...those are my House Words…" Jaime trailed off still feeling confused.

Dimeria took a deep breath and set her jaw. "Then come with me and BE QUIET." She said grabbing the chain between his wrists.

"What are-" Jaime began, but Dimeria quickly shushed him.

Dimeria led him to the stables with all of the horses and secured 2 of them so they could ride separately. She helped him astride his own, for his hands were still bound and she swiftly mounted her own.

"What are you doing?" Jaime whispered harshly to her.

"For now, just be satisfied that I'm not turning you in. I'll tell you when it's safer." She said with her blue eyes blazing bright.

Jaime shook his head, realizing that he could nothing but listen to her. He had no weapon, was still in chains, and was not at his full strength; with all the talk the guards had said about Dimeria's fighting, she would easily overpower Jaime if he didn't cooperate. Dimeria tried to recall the layout of the lands they were in; Robb always had a map in his tent, some of it should surely have been etched permanently into her mind. Not remembering any certain details, she just decided that they needed to get out of the encampment as soon as possible and head south; that's where they both wanted to go anyway.

"Just follow me and don't you DARE try to get away." She warned him.

Jaime rolled his eyes and nodded, he had no intention of trying to escape around Dimeria. They kicked their horses into a gallop and off they went into the night leaving the army behind. Elation filled Jaime, but it was tempered with caution and confusion every time he glanced at Dimeria. What could she possibly be up to? He asked himself. A grim determination was set on her face along with a firm jaw. Her cloak flapped behind her in the wind and her white strand of hair blew against her ear. They rode as fast as they could for as long as they could. They came to a trot deep within the forest with no clear path behind, or ahead of them.

"NOW would you mind telling me what's going on?" Jaime snapped at her.

She glared at him before answering. "I just freed you from the Stark encampment."

"Oh, is that what happened?" He said sarcastically and rolled his eyes.

"Your **debt**, Lannister, is to take me south to King's Landing with you."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me." Dimeria said. "A Lannister always pays his debts, you even said so. I just saved your life, so you owe me big time."

"Seven hells…" Jaime muttered to himself. "Why do you even want to go south?" He whined at her.

"Doesn't matter!" Dimeria snapped, wanting to keep her objective hidden from Jaime. "You want to go south and so do I. I freed you from prison, so you have to take me."

"Fine." Jaime agreed angrily. "But once we're there, we're done."

"That was the plan!" She snarled at him.

A few moments of silence passed between them, Jaime still seething with anger and Dimeria boasting with pride that her plan had worked. Jaime sighed before saying:

"We're going to have to stay off the main road, you know?"

Dimeria shrugged, not really even knowing where the 'main road' was.

"Okay?" She said nonchalantly.

"I'm sure by the time the Stark boy realizes I'm gone, he'll have as many men as he can spare out looking for me."

"Oh...okay then." Dimeria agreed impassively. As long as they got to King's Landing, she didn't care which road they took.

His own mention of Robb Stark had piqued Jaime's interest, so he couldn't stop himself from asking:

"Why are you doing this? Did you and the little wolf have a fight?" He teased.

Dimeria bit her lip and tensed her muscles. Letting go of the reign, she lifted her left hand to see the ripped and crumpled up letter she had written; she completely forgot about it in the spur of the moment.

_Too late now…_ She told herself and she crumpled the letter up even more and tossed it to the ground. Jaime watched her curiously as he waited for an answer.

"No fight." She told him. "It was just time for me to leave."

Jaime laughed at her slightly and said, "Well, I see that you like leaving your mark. Releasing the most wanted prisoner in the Seven Kingdoms...that's quite the gesture!"

"They don't know it was me that did it." Dimeria said with a mischievous smile.

"Ah, you really are a trouble maker." He chuckled.

"I guess so." She agreed.

Jaime supposed he could have had worse company than Dimeria, at least she wasn't annoying and didn't want his head on a spike; hell, she never even called him Kingslayer! Yes, he could have done much worse than Dimeria. He owed a great deal to her, at least he wouldn't hate having to pay his debt to her.

Dimeria closed her eyes as they continued trotting along in the cool night. She was finally heading south again and the realization filled her with excitement. She tried not to think about Robb and everything she had with him that she had just left behind, it would only make her quest harder. No, she had to focus; this was much too important. She had a guide to take her to King's Landing, which was more than she had when she was initially planning to sneak away; there was no reason to complicate her journey with thoughts of Robb and her silly emotions, they would all be forgotten when she found her parents. So she pushed it all from her mind. She didn't think about Robb, or the encampment. She didn't think about the trouble she and Jaime left behind at Robb's army and how it would affect those she had come to care for. To her, the only thing that mattered was finding her parents, the same mindset she had when she left Castle Black.

_Nothing has changed…_ she told herself, but so much had changed; she just didn't realize it yet. And many more things would continue to change, including everything Dimeria every believed in.

* * *

_**Thanks so much for reading and for everyone who has stayed with the story, it means so much!**_

_**Make sure to leave reviews they REALLY help motivate me to write more. Hope you're enjoying!**_

_**Until next time...**_


	17. Chapter 18

_**A/N: Almost to 100 followers, woohoo! Thank you so much to the new readers and everyone who is still reading. I hope you're enjoying and please let me know if you are!**_

_**Big thanks to my **__**guest**__** reviewer for leaving his/her thoughts. You were really helpful and gave me some good ideas for the future of this story...so thanks big time!**_

* * *

"What are their House Words?"

"Why do I have to do this?"

"If you're going to be in King's Landing, you're going to need to be more than some stupid northerner." Jaime scolded Dimeria while throwing a stern look to his right.

"I'm not some stupid northerner!" Dimeria complained.

"Then prove it." He challenged her. "What are their words?"

Dimeria sighed loudly and searched her memory. Jaime had been quizzing her on the history of Westeros for most of the morning and it was beginning to annoy her.

"House Tyrell: Growing Strong." She recited.

"Was that so difficult?" Jaime teased her. He pulled ahead of her on his horse and Dimeria proceeded to glare at the back of his head.

They travelled for most of the night in order to get as far away from Robb's camp as they could. Jaime often tried to find out why Dimeria had helped him escape, insisting that she and Robb got into an argument, but she wouldn't reveal anything. Much to her annoyance, he didn't let it go there. He decided to embarrass her about her knowledge, or lack thereof, of the Seven Kingdoms, thus, bringing him to quiz her about everything.

"Is this what it's like to have a Septa?" Dimeria questioned him from behind.

"I suppose so, except I'm much better."

Dimeria could practically see the smug grin he had on his face even though his back was to her.

"I doubt it." She said loud enough for him to hear.

"Oh really? So you're saying you would enjoy a real Septa asking you questions like this and pestering you to sew?"

"What?" Dimeria said filled with disgust at the thought of sewing. "Why would I need to learn how to sew?"

"Because that's what women are for." He said turning around and smirking at her. "Sewing clothes, birthing babies...and then sewing clothes for the babies!"

"Sounds horrid." She said distastefully.

"Aren't you glad you left Robb Stark and never married him?" Jaime teased her, knowing that mentioning Robb would annoy her.

"I wasn't ever going to marry him!" She shouted at him.

Jaime only smirked and shook his head, resisting the urge to turn around and look at the disgruntled expression he knew was on Dimeria's face. Dimeria was fun to jest with and it was even better because she was too stubborn to just ignore him, so she always came up with some clever retort. Jaime was in Dimeria's debt; he was thankful to her more than words could describe, but he was extremely curious as to why she had assisted him in the first place. She was adamant that it wasn't because she and Robb had been fighting, which rather disappointed him, but if it wasn't that, what was it? It definitely wasn't out of the goodness of her heart; much like himself he noticed, Dimeria didn't have much of a heart. Perhaps that's why he enjoyed her company, they related to each other in that sense. He looked back at Dimeria and smirked at the brooding look on her face, apparently she hadn't thought about how much of an annoyance he was going to be on this journey.

_And to think we have a month at the very least left on this trip…_ He laughed to himself.

Dimeria realized that Jaime had a knack for putting her in a bad mood, more of a talent really; what's worse was that he knew it too. She hated that she needed a guide to King's Landing, otherwise she would've turned around and taken him straight back by now. Jaime suddenly dismounted his horse, stumbling slightly since Dimeria had refused to release him from his chains, and walked to a river that was parallel to them.

"What are you doing?" Dimeria asked, quickly catching up to him.

"It'll be harder for Stark's men to follow us if we lose them by the river." Jaime said looking in the high brush for something. He hauled a small boat out of the grass and into the shallow river. "Are you coming or not?" He asked her.

"Do we have to?" She asked warily. She had the one incident in water back at Castle Black and if it hadn't been for finding the dragon eggs, she probably would've considered that the most terrifying experience of her life.

Jaime stared at her for moment, not entirely believing what it was he was hearing. Was she really afraid of the water?

"What? You didn't have boats at The Wall?"

"We didn't exactly have flowing rivers and ponds at Castle Black." She snapped at him trying to hide her discomfort. She began gnawing her lip and twirling the white strand of hair around her finger as she stared into the glistening water.

Jaime could tell that she was nervous and decided he should be nice to her after all of the chastising he had done earlier.

"Look, all you have to do is get in the boat and sit. I'll do the rowing." He said kindly. Dimeria seemed more relaxed, but then he said, "But you will have to get rid of these damn chains."

Her eyes widened and she slumped her shoulders.

"Okay, now I'm never getting in that boat."

"Come on!" Jaime groaned. "I can't have these chains on the whole time. If you want to get to King's Landing, take them off."

"Fine." Dimeria growled. She took a ring of keys from her belt loop, she had taken to carrying it around since she tended to the prisoners so often, and cautiously walked to the side of the boat where Jaime had his hands offered.

With a loud click, the chains fell to the ground and Jaime rubbed his hands in relief.

"Thank you." He said sincerely. "Now hurry up and get in."

Dimeria took a deep breath and carefully stepped in, trying her best not to rock it from side to side. She sat down quickly with a hard thump and grasped the edges tightly. She glared at Jaime as he began laughing at her, only bringing forth more laughter.

"Just calm down." He told her. "It won't be too bad."

He firmly pushed the boat from the bank, causing her to tense up even more, but he slowly rowed them along the river. It was easy going and Dimeria found herself relaxing soon after, though she kept a firm hold with one hand on the side of the boat. Jaime kept a close eye on her, finding himself surprisingly concerned and made sure that he went slowly so he wouldn't startle her. He spoke nothing to her, for she seemed deep in thought. Thinking about what, he didn't know, but he figured it wasn't any of his business anyway.

And even if he asked anyway, she wouldn't have told him; her mind was far away, thinking about Robb and what he was doing at that moment. Was he back from The Crag and did he know that she and Jaime were gone? Did he care? Dimeria sighed deeply and closed her eyes, trying to force herself to not dwell on the past.

_The past is the past…_ She told herself. _It doesn't matter anymore…_

…

Robb sat in his tent with his face buried in his hands. He couldn't believe it; she was gone. He blamed himself, he should have seen it coming. Robb knew that it was dangerous for Dimeria to spend so much time with the Kingslayer, but he didn't try hard enough to stop her.

And now she was gone.

"Robb?"

He looked up to see his mother coming around the flap of the tent, a concerned look planted upon her features. Robb struggled to maintain his composure, but he failed miserably and didn't even bother to stand up and greet his mother. Catelyn quickly walked to him and sat by his side, grabbing his hand to comfort him.

"What happened?" She asked Robb.

Taking a deep breath and wiping the salty tears from his face, Robb began:

"I was still at The Crag when it happened...the guards found the Kingslayer's cousin-his own cousin…" Robb breathed out in disbelief. His mother squeezed his hand reassuringly, urging him to continue. "His cousin's head was beaten in...they found him dead. And Torrhen Karstark was knocked unconscious...that's how he escaped." Robb finished hatefully.

"And Dimeria?" Catelyn asked carefully.

Robb visibly grimaced from the thought of Dimeria. "She hasn't been seen since that night. The last place someone saw her was over by the prisoners, probably tending to them like she usually does." A glaze washed over Robb's blue eyes, dulling them like murky water.

"I've sent out men to look for them." He said.

Catelyn sighed deeply, expecting Robb to say something of that sort.

"Robb, you can't afford to send out men after her." She told him gently.

"What?"

"You're fighting a war, Robb. And...Dimeria, she's-she's most likely…"

"Don't." Robb interrupted her. "Don't say it."

"She's most likely dead, Robb." Catelyn said firmly. She hated to say it, but it was the only thing that was possible. Truth be told, she thought it better for her son; he was to marry the Frey girl, with Dimeria gone, nothing would distract him from fulfilling his duties and if he followed through with his promise, they would be one step closer to getting her daughters back.

"No." Robb denied as he stood up and began pacing about the tent. "No, her things are gone and...and 2 horses are gone instead of just one. He may have just taken her...as hostage! and…"

Seeing that her son was quickly becoming frantic, Catelyn got up and placed her hands on Robb's shoulders. Tears lined his eyes once more as he fought to deny Dimeria's demise. Catelyn desperately wanted to comfort Robb, but she knew nothing would soothe his aching heart. She pulled him into a tight hug and told him,

"I'm so sorry, Robb."

She left moments later and Robb sat in his tent feeling more worn out than any battle he had ever fought in. He couldn't believe that Dimeria was dead, he refused to give into it. He would continue sending out search parties to find her and then he would kill Jaime Lannister; he didn't care about a bargain anymore, he wanted his head on a spike. Hatred and anger boiled in his core, making his temples ache and his throat clench. His eyes were red and strained from the streaming of so many tears that he could hardly keep them open.

The next day, his head pounded and his eyelids felt heavier than boulders. He forced himself to get up and placed an impassive mask upon his face to hide the pain. They would be advancing the camp fairly soon and the men were buzzing around like bees. A small search party had just returned from the south and Robb felt a flicker of hope rise within him. He asked if they had seen any sign of the Kingslayer and Dimeria and was answered with,

"We have a trail, your Grace."

For a moment he forgot about his loss and was startled by the formal greeting of the soldier. He still hadn't quite gotten used to the thought of being King in the North, although he tried not to show it. Dimeria had always known his thoughts about it and always refused to use the title for him; she never proclaimed any King. He shook the memory of Dimeria away as best he could and went to find his mother; he needed to discuss how negotiations went with Renly Baratheon. He found Catelyn in her own tent and was surprised to see a large woman with her. She had very light blonde hair, cropped short on her head and had a stern look on her face. Robb furrowed his brows at her, not understanding her presence.

"Robb, this is Brienne of Tarth. She was a soldier for Renly and was kind enough to escort me back here." Catelyn introduced them.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Brienne." Robb greeted formally as he nodded towards to her.

"The pleasure is mine, my Lord, but please, you do not have to call me 'Lady' Brienne." She told him.

Robb nodded his understanding and hid the surprise he felt when he heard her voice. He had been expecting it to be more harsh and gruff, instead, it was soft and rather pleasant like most women's voices, he supposed. He thought a moment about the fact that Brienne was a warrior; it was rather uncommon for women to fight, but it didn't surprise him too much since Dimeria was a fighter.

"I take it that negotiations with Lord Renly went well, then?" Robb asked.

It was then that Catelyn began fiddling around with things on her table, her nerves clearly set on edge. She also furrowed her brows, much like her son before trying to speak.

"There were some...complications before Brienne and I came back here."

"Complications?" Robb asked not liking where it sounded like she was heading.

"Renly has agreed to ally with you and as far as I know...his army still is…" Catelyn said.

"But…?"

"Renly is dead."

Robb heard Brienne take in a sharp breath at the sentence, but made no move to question her. Robb could only shake his head and the surprising news.

Things were just going to get more and more complicated.

…

Dimeria's nerves were frazzled enough from being in the boat, but they were completely fried at what she was currently looking at. She had never seen anything so horrible before, yet she could not bring herself to look away. She was completely disgusted, but at the same time morbidly curious; though she couldn't bring herself to move any closer. Hanging from the tree just in front of her were 3 rotting corpses of women beaten to death. Jaime was busy hiding the small boat away from any prying eyes while Dimeria just stood staring up at the awful sight before her. Jaime walked up behind her quietly, realizing that this was probably the first time Dimeria had ever seen something so hideous.

"Who would do this?" Dimeria asked solemnly.

"Sadly, many men." Jaime answered her truthfully.

"We shouldn't leave them up there." Dimeria said as finally made a move closer to the tree.

Jaime stayed behind her not really minding her decision, in fact, he actually admired her sense of honor; it was something most people claimed he didn't possess. Dimeria made drew the small dagger from her boot as she moved to the rope that was holding them up.

"Dimeria." She heard Jaime say behind her.

"What?" Dimeria snapped at him, rather annoyed that he was trying to stop her.

"There are men coming."

Dimeria looked up and confirmed his observation, but she didn't care; those women didn't deserve to be hung up for some perverted man's humor. She continued cutting at the rope until Jaime came up and pulled her away by her waist. Looking up at him so she could scold him, she slightly pulled away, but saw the urgent look in his eyes as he didn't break eye contact with the men. They looked to be northerners, but none that she recognized. Jaime remained behind her with his muscles tense. The 3 men approached, one of them asking:

"What's your business here?

"I don't really see how that's any of your business." Dimeria said bluntly.

"You've got quite the mouth on you, you little bitch." A second man said.

Dimeria tensed her muscles and flared her nostrils in an effort to control her anger. The 3 of the them were laughing now causing her to roll her eyes and groan. She looked back to Jaime, hoping to get a little assistance, but he had backed away against a tree as he tried to keep his face hidden. Dimeria sent him a questioning look, but he did nothing in response.

"If you're finished-" Dimeria interjected. "I think we can all be going our separate ways."

"Oh, now why would we want to do that?" The first man asked as he slowly stepped forward. "Who's that?" He asked gesturing towards Jaime.

"Again, I don't see how that's any of your concern."

The man stepped closer to Jaime this time, trying to get a better look at his face. Silently cursing his current situation, Jaime peeked out from behind his long hair and risked giving the man a window to look at him. The man stared a moment longer before turning back to Dimeria.

"What were you doing with the rope there?" He asked her.

"Cutting it."

"Why would you do that? They're beauties, are they not?" He asked with a cruel smirk towards the other 2 men.

Dimeria only shook her head in disgust and turned back around to resume her cutting. The second man this time walked closer to Jaime, a look of clarity on his face.

"Hey, we do know you. You're the Kingslayer!" He shouted to his 2 other comrades.

Suddenly, Dimeria understood why Jaime had been hiding his face. These were northerners; if they got a hold of Jaime, they would take him back to Robb Stark. Hell, they would probably take her back with him. She turned towards Jaime with wide eyes, panic coursing through her nerves.

"Oh really?" Jaime asked. "I wish I had known that a while ago that way I could have killed that wench!" He said gesturing towards Dimeria. "You've got the wrong guy."

Knowing that Jaime was only trying to get away from the 3 men, she stifled her anger at his comment.

"No, you're right...that is him!" The third and final man said.

He took a step forward, drawing his sword and that was when all hell broke loose. Dimeria elbowed the third man square in the face, driving him backwards with a bloody nose. She ran for the other 2 men who were much closer to Jaime and drove the handle of her dagger into the back of the second man's head, knocking him to the ground with a foggy head. Jaime quickly seized his chance and grabbed the fallen man's sword and began sparring with the first man. He made short work of the man and drove his sword through his chest, reveling in the moment his blood came sputtering out of his mouth. He turned to find Dimeria in a fight with the third man who was raging from the bloody nose she had given him. Jaime walked towards her to help her, but she quickly knocked him unconscious and he fell to the ground. Instead, Jaime turned back towards the second man and drove his own sword through his throat; blood splattering all over the blade and the dead man's face.

"I told you it was a good idea to get those chains off of me." He said smugly to Dimeria.

She rolled her eyes and finally finished her job of cutting the rope, releasing the women from their shame. Turning back to Jaime to tell him they could go, she saw him driving his sword through the last man's chest; killing him instantly.

"Why did you do that?!" She shouted at him.

"I'm surprised you didn't!" Jaime yelled back. "I'm not about to let him go running back to your lover so he can tell him where we are."

"You didn't need to kill him." She grumbled to Jaime.

"Get over it. It's done now." He said sending her a glare. He kneeled down to clean the blade, but then turned back to Dimeria angrily.

"This wouldn't have happened if you had been more careful!"

"How was this my fault?!" Dimeria asked incredulously.

"You just had to release those women! If we had kept going, we could have avoided those men and we wouldn't have had to kill them like you seem to have such a problem doing!"

"It was the honorable thing to do, but I guess you wouldn't know anything about honor, would you?" She argued.

"Honor." He spat. "Robb Stark's father had honor and his head is on a spike. You say I don't have any, yet look at me...I'm still alive. So no, I guess I don't know anything about honor, my little warrior."

"You're alive thanks to me, Lannister. I wouldn't forget that if I were you." Dimeria said as she walked on ahead of him.

"Is that a threat?" Jaime asked her.

"Guess you'll have to wait and find out!" She shouted behind her.

Dimeria walked a few paces ahead and turned realizing that Jaime was not right behind her. Coming up slowly behind her was Jaime, wearing the belt and cape of one of the men he had killed. He had left his filthy old cape there on the ground and looked slightly less disgusting than he had before, but his face was still ridden with dirt. Dimeria raised her brows in confusion, wondering why he had gotten the new things.

"What? I needed somewhere to put my new sword."

…

They walked through the woods on a path west of the King's Road, hoping to avoid any soldiers. By evening, they went further into the woods to conceal themselves and settled down for the night. The tension between the 2 travelers had not dispelled since that afternoon and Dimeria was set on not being the one to clear things up. The night fell upon them and it grew cold, so they built a small fire to keep warm. The earlier events had put both of them in a sour mood and Dimeria began wondering how long this journey would last, for she doubted she could handle Jaime for very long.

"How far is it from where we started to King's Landing?" She asked him by the light of the fire.

"At least a month and that's by horseback and carriage, probably longer since we are on foot."

Dimeria groaned loudly and leaned her head back on a tree. She shook her head and scolded herself for thinking her travels would be easy. Closing her eyes, she began thinking about how her journey first started. How long had it been since that night she left Castle Black? She remembered leaving Jon at that front gate and feeling thrilled and excited that she was finally leaving; now a part of her wished she could go back. Absolutely nothing had happened the way she thought it would, which only reinforced Jon's warning to her: You don't know what it's like out there. She had been living a fairytale adventure in her head when she first left, everything turned out to be so different. She had gotten captured, been beaten, and even got her heart broken within that time span of a few months.

_No, Dimeria…_ She told herself and she mentally shook those thoughts away. Opening her eyes once more, she sighed and looked over to Jaime who had been staring at her curiously for a while.

"What?" She asked defensively.

"What do you plan on doing once you get to King's Landing?" He asked.

"It's not any of your business." Dimeria said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Actually, I think it is. I may owe you a debt, but I am the one escorting you there and possibly risking my life to do it. I think I have a right to know." He said with his customary smirk.

Dimeria sighed, finding no argument against him. "I need…information." She said after a while.

"That's it? That's all you'll tell me?" Jaime asked disappointedly. Receiving no answer, he shook his head and lay down in the grass.

"Not a very trusting person, are you little warrior." Jaime stated in the darkness.

Dimeria took another moment to stare at Jaime and laid down herself. It took her a while to finally fall asleep, but as the fiery embers went down, so did Dimeria's eyelids. The last thing she thought of was whether or not she should trust Jaime because right now, she was terrified he would wake up and stab her in her sleep.

* * *

_**So there's a little bit more action there, I hope you enjoyed! The timeline is gonna be a little bit different, but I'll probably add in some of the big events we all know about.**_

_**Remember to review, it helps motivate me!**_

_**Until next time...**_


	18. Chapter 19

_**A/N: 106 followers! You all are AMAZING, I can't even fathom it right now...thank you so much! Thank you **__**ZabuzasGirl **__**and **__**guest**__** for reviewing! I love the insight you guys give me and I hope you'll continue letting me know how you like to story.**_

* * *

Dimeria was not accustomed to sleeping on the ground. Aches and pains ran through her muscles and bones as she shifted awake. Her body was stiff and Dimeria debated whether or not she truly wanted to get up. The sound of movement behind her quickly awoke all of her senses, though.

"What are you doing?" She asked as she sat up quickly.

Jaime nonchalantly glanced over to her as he continued shifting things in her pack.

"Just looking…" He answered simply.

"Don't touch my stuff." Dimeria growled at him, while struggling to stand up.

Jaime only smirked in response and continued rustling through her bag, obviously not finding what he was looking for. Cursing under her breath, Dimeria stomped forward and snatched her things away from Jaime. Glaring at him, she started going through her things as well, checking to see if everything was still there.

"Protective of those dragon eggs, aren't you?" Jaime asked amusedly.

Trying to remain impassive, Dimeria shrugged. "They're mine; I have a right to be."

"I wasn't going to take them."

"Then what were you doing?" She asked, trying to contain her annoyance.

"Just wanted some water."

Dimeria shook her head and threw her pack over her shoulder, satisfied that everything was still there. Jaime leaned against a tree chuckling to himself. He knew that he would get some sort of a reaction if he went near her prized possessions; she was a Targaryen after all. He wondered if she knew anything about her parents and that's why she wanted to keep the eggs hidden, or maybe she just knew of their value and wanted the riches for herself. Perhaps that was why she was going to King's Landing: to sell the eggs. She probably thought that she would get the best price in the capitol.

_Smart girl…_ He thought to himself.

"We should get going." Dimeria interrupted his inner babbling.

Dimeria hoped they could actually walk for a little while in silence; she had grown tired of his chastising already, but hope seemed useless at the time. As soon as they got on their way, Jaime opened his obnoxiously large mouth.

"How did you say you got those dragon eggs?" Jaime asked her.

"I found them."

"Oh, so you stole them."

"And who would I steal them from?" Dimeria scoffed at his accusation.

"I don't know. Maybe one of the criminals at Castle Black had them." He suggested, but only drew forth another disbelieving laugh from Dimeria.

"Or maybe you stole them from someone else...someone away from The Wall."

Dimeria furrowed her brows at his new speculation and shook her head. She had once thought that Jaime was smart, she now suspected she was wrong.

"You could be lying." Jaime continued. "Maybe that whole story about being raised at Castle Black is just a ruse to get sympathy."

"I don't need sympathy." Dimeria said.

"Okay, maybe you lie just so people don't know who you are. Maybe you like having a secret identity...you obviously have trust issues, so it makes sense." Jaime said. Honestly, Jaime was just taunting Dimeria, hoping to get a little bit of information from her and to make her a little bit mad; that part was truly entertaining.

"That's quite the theory, Lannister." Dimeria said, not giving anything away.

Jaime quietly sighed, disappointed she didn't reveal anything, but he wasn't about to give up.

"You're a bastard child, right? Or so you claim." He went on.

"I am a bastard child." Dimeria confirmed as she bit her lip.

Jaime noticed the nervous habit and smirked, knowing he hit a sensitive topic.

"How did you get to Castle Black, then? Are you the product of wildling passion?" Jaime asked with excitement.

Dimeria didn't answer.

"Or maybe you're only half wildling. Those men on The Wall have urges you know. If they became desperate enough, they'll find some ugly wildling woman and fuck her from behind, that way they don't have to see her face."

Dimeria clenched her fists, but once again didn't answer.

"Oh! Or perhaps you're half wildling and half goat! I've heard that's what the wildlings fuck...perhaps that random white strand is goat fur!"

"Shut your mouth, Lannister!" Dimeria shouted and shoved him to the side.

Jaime was surprised by her strength, but managed to maintain the smug smirk on his face. Dimeria was slightly flushed and her breathing came harder as she struggled to control herself. She walked away from him quickly, not able to look at him any longer without renewing her rage. Jaime immediately ran back up to her and walked with Dimeria shoulder to shoulder, drawing a scrunched up face of disgust from her.

"Oh come on, I'm just trying to make conversation." He said with fake kindness.

"I should have just killed you in your sleep last night." Dimeria groaned as she shifted away from him.

"You can't kill me. You can't kill anyone...you proved that yesterday!" Jaime teased, looking for another way to anger her.

Instead, Dimeria remained silent once more, her face drawn down in a sad frown. Jaime also became serious, for he hadn't expected that from her.

"Have you ever killed anyone before?" He asked.

"No." Dimeria said defensively, for she feared that Jaime was going to begin taunting her again.

"How?" Jaime asked incredulously.

She turned to him then, not understanding why he was so interested. She shrugged her shoulders and bit her lip once more.

"I've never had to." She said simply.

"Not any wildlings or anything?"

Dimeria shook her head as she thought about it. No, she had never killed a human being before. Now that it was on her mind, she wondered if she would ever be able to do it; she obviously couldn't kill the men the day before.

"It just never seemed necessary." She told Jaime.

Jaime turned his head, wondering what it would be like to have never killed anyone before. What would he be like if had kept his sword clean for all these years?

_You definitely wouldn't be called Kingslayer…_ He thought to himself.

They both walked in silent thought for a while, like Dimeria had first desired, but suddenly it didn't seem so pleasant. Birds chirped in the high branches of the trees, resembling the way her thoughts kept popping in and out of her mind; quick and loud. Suddenly, an eagle of a thought came screeching in her mind, calling all of her attention to it.

She had killed at Whitewalker, did that count?

_No, of course not. They're already dead… _She told herself.

Dimeria pushed the thought from her mind; it didn't really even matter anyway. The sun rose high through the air, beating down on them although they didn't really feel overheated, for they were still at the edge of the north. By the time, they made it through the Riverlands was when they would finally start feeling the warmth of the south. As the waning sun began to turn the sky a pale pink, Jaime and Dimeria came upon a small town with an even smaller inn.

"We need 2 rooms for the night." Dimeria told the woman that seemed to be running the place. The upper floor was where all of the rooms were and the ground floor seemed to be some of pub/tavern that was occupied by several men and women already eating.

"We only 'ave 1 available." The rotund woman said gruffly.

Dimeria hesitated, but Jaime didn't seem to care about only having 1 room, so he answered for her.

"That'll be fine." He assured the woman.

Dimeria glared up at Jaime, stifling a sigh and that's when she realized she had no money. She was waiting for the woman to erupt because of the lack of payment, but Jaime suddenly handed several gold coins over to the woman who hardly looked up from what she was doing.

"Up the stairs an' to your left. Last door on the left." She said waving them away.

"Where did you get those?" Dimeria asked Jaime as they climbed up the steps.

"Lannister's are the richest family in all of Westeros." He said pompously. Dimeria remained unconvinced so he said, "I took it from those 3 men yesterday. Did you think I was only going to take their clothes?" He asked amusedly.

"I don't know why I'm surprised." Dimeria stated with small smile.

"It's not like they have much use for it now."

"You didn't think to share?" She asked as they entered the room.

"I'm a Lannister, we take money not give it out."

"Is that your answer for everything?"

"It works for almost everything." Jaime said with a chuckle.

Dimeria set her pack down on the small bed and covered it with a pillow. She looked around and mentally decided that she would be the one to have the bed that night; Jaime would have to sleep on the floor.

"Do you think it could get us some food?" She asked him.

"It could, but it's too dangerous. We're still in the Riverlands, if anyone figures out who we are we'll be sent straight back to Robb Stark's army."

Dimeria sighed and ran a hand over her grumbling stomach.

"Don't worry." Jaime said holding up a small pouch. "I took all three of those men's money."

Dimeria laughed and followed Jaime out the door and back downstairs. The sun had set by now and the room was slightly fuller. Dimeria felt uneasy with so many people around while they were still in the Riverlands. Jaime was right: it was still too dangerous. They both instinctively kept their heads down as they ate and planned to return to their room as soon as they were finished.

"He took Winterfell with his own father's men; Stark boy ne'er saw it comin'."

The mention of Winterfell caught Dimeria's attention and she paused her eating for a moment.

"They call'im King o' the North, but he can't even keep 'is own fortress!" The same man who had spoken before said.

Dimeria had perked her head up now and was looking for the voice as Jaime was eyeing her closely, tensing his muscles and clenching his hands around his utensils.

"D'ya think he'll go back north to take it back?" The same woman who gave them their room asked.

"Course he will! Family's the most 'portant thing to those fuckin' Starks!" The man said.

Dimeria felt anger flush her chest and she gripped her fork tightly, just as Jaime was doing. He noticed how the conversation had captured her interest and he was not willing to risk everyone finding out who they were just because Dimeria had a temper.

"He'll probably go back north an' just give up on the war." The man said as he took a drink of his beer.

"Do you know him?" Dimeria asked, turning in her seat to face the man. He was a fairly large man; definitely sugarcoated with several layers of fat, but Dimeria could tell that he was also a strong, burly man. His skin was old and leathery, and his hair was thinning and turning gray. Several teeth were missing, making Dimeria pinch her face up in disgust.

"What?" He managed to gurgle up from his mug of beer.

"Dimeria." Jaime whispered harshly to her. She ignored him and stood up and began walking towards the man, much to Jaime's anger.

"You speak as if you know Robb Stark. I was just wondering if you'd ever met him." She said her gaze unfaltering.

"Don't 'ave to know him personally. Everyone knows how the Starks are!" The man said, earning a few laughs from those around him.

Dimeria managed a cynical smile, drawing a curious gaze from the fat man.

"I figured as much. There's no way Robb Stark would ever have a reason to lay eyes on you." She said beginning to turn away.

"And what's that s'posed to mean?" He asked, struggling to push himself up.

"Well," Dimeria said, turning back around with an overly sweet smile. "If you had met Robb Stark, it would be because he needed you to fight in his army...and you are MUCH too fat for that."

A collective gasp sounded from the people around and the man, fat though he was, widened his eyes and flared his nostrils in fury. He and several of his friends, whom Dimeria didn't pay much attention to, stood and began taking angry steps towards her. Dimeria, never being one to back down from a challenge, smiled amusedly and turned to face them head on. They came closer and closer and Dimeria readied herself to fight them all; she knew it wouldn't be too much trouble. The whole lot of them was overweight and Dimeria knew she would be faster than them. Tensing her muscles and expecting a strike from the lead man, she bent her knees only to be lifted off the ground by Jaime.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and stomach, tightly securing her as she began thrashing about, causing some people to duck out of the way from her wild limbs.

"You must excuse my wife, she's drunk!" Jaime shouted with a nervous laugh.

"I am **not!**" Dimeria yelled at him, not entirely sure whether she was denying his claim that she was drunk, or that she was his wife. Jaime only laughed again and raised his brows as if her screaming only proved his point. The men backed away, but their anger was still evident.

"You need to have better control over your bitch." The first man said, glaring at Dimeria and making her anger course through her limbs as she once more thrashed about.

"Oh I will...I'm sure to have an interesting night with her!" He said winking at the man. His comment seemed to diffuse the man's anger and the rest of the people laughed with him. Jaime proceeded to carry Dimeria up the stairs and all the way to their room. He tossed her onto the bed and slammed the door shut, spinning angrily to Dimeria.

"Are you fucking mad?!" He yelled at her.

"I had it handled!" Dimeria said jumping back up.

"No, you didn't! You're lucky I saved your ass!"

"Oh please, I was fine!" She said taking a step closer to him and crossing her arms.

"What were you thinking? We don't need that kind of attention on us!"

"That man was a fat fool; he didn't know what he was talking about." Dimeria said through gritted teeth.

"I know what this is about." Jaime said with an exasperated laugh. "You didn't like how he was talking about your precious Robb, did you?"

Dimeria breathed through her nose, not finding it in herself to dispute his statement. Jaime closed the small amount of space between them and stood so close that his nose was almost touching hers, for Dimeria was not about to cower away from Jaime, so she held her head high.

"Let me make this very clear to you. **You** left Robb Stark because you felt that getting to King's Landing was more important than he was. Do NOT even think about going back on that decision because you have feelings for him because I swear, even though I owe you a debt, I **will **kill you if I feel like you're jeopardizing our situation. Do you understand, little warrior?"

Dimeria glared back up at him, just as he did down to her until he pushed his way past her to sit on the bed. Dimeria bit her lip, realizing he was right and then smirked.

"Don't you mean little wife?" Dimeria asked. Jaime lay back on the bed and grinned as he placed his hands behind his head.

"I had to come up with something."

Dimeria's nerves had finally cooled off now, though she still felt edgy about Jaime saying that she had feelings for Robb and that he had just threatened to kill her. She removed her cloak and boots, feeling exhausted suddenly.

"I get the bed." She told Jaime, bringing his head up in annoyance.

"Says who?" He asked indignantly.

"Says your wife." Dimeria said with an evil grin.

"How is it that I actually feel like I can't argue with that?" Jaime asked as he got off the bed.

Dimeria only laughed in triumph and made her way across the room. Jaime began clearing a spot for himself to sleep on the floor and jumped when Dimeria tossed the fur blanket over to him.

"You don't want it?" Jaime asked.

"It's fine, I don't need it."

"You sure?" He asked again, although he wasn't about to give it back since he was already settling down on the ground with it.

"Yeah." She said as she lay back on the bed.

"I don't get cold."

…

Robb wasn't sure what he was going to do. Renly's death had driven they Tyrell's to ally with the Lannisters. Robb thought their move was despicable and was annoyed that they would so easily forget their loyalty to Renly and side with his enemy.

Where did that leave Robb? Yes, he had one every battle he had fought in, but his army was still not big enough to take all of King's Landing; the small battles he was fighting in were not effective enough. He knew he couldn't make an alliance with Stannis Baratheon, for he would never grant the north freedom from the rest of the kingdom; he wanted the entire realm to rule. Robb could go on fighting these small battles, but he was losing the morale of his men and it didn't help when he had gotten word of what Theon had done.

Theon. Robb thought he could trust him; he had been like a brother to him since they were boys, what changed? Making matters worse, Theon murdered Ser Rodrik and Robb had no news on how his younger brothers were faring. Things had been going so well and now they just seemed to be falling apart right at his fingertips. Robb felt as if he had taken one large step forward, but he was being dragged backwards another 2 steps. He felt himself being stretched thin, as if he would soon drift away with the winter winds.

Robb just didn't know what to do.

He felt frustrated. He didn't know whether to keep on going like he was, or just join with Stannis and hope he change his mind later about holding dominion over the north.

He felt betrayed. Theon declared himself Lord of Winterfell behind Robb's back. He wanted Theon's head, but he couldn't afford to turn his army around and lose all the ground he had gained.

He felt worried. Robb's army was already starting to lose confidence in him; if he turned them back around, most of them would just abandon him. Roose Bolton had offered to send a letter to his bastard, Ramsay Snow, so that he could take back Winterfell, but it offered Robb no comfort.

Most of all, he just felt hurt; shattered. He missed Dimeria more than he could comprehend, but he couldn't let that get in the way of leading his people. It was so hard though. He thought of her every moment his mind had a break and what had happened to her. Was she dead? He didn't know, but he decided that even if she was, he would want to know, for he hated the uncertainty of not knowing her fate.

Talisa entered his tent then, interrupting his inner turmoil.

"Are you alright?" She asked him.

"Am I alright? I have no chance of an alliance with Renly or Stannis. My best friend for my entire life has betrayed me, taking my home and my people hostage. I'm losing the belief these men once had for me and...The woman I love is gone. Dead or alive, I've not heard and-"

"I'm sorry, it was a stupid question." Talisa interrupted him, shame clearly on her face; she shouldn't have asked such a ridiculous question.

Robb sighed and ran a hand through his hair, wondering when he last had a bath. He looked at Talisa and suddenly felt badly for snapping at her; he knew she meant well.

"You were friends with Dimeria." He said more than asked.

Talisa laughed a little and said, "As much of a friend as Dimeria allowed."

That drew a smile onto Robb's face. It felt weird for him to use those muscles again, it had been too long since he had last smiled.

"How are you faring?" He asked Talisa.

"It's strange." She said, taking a deep breath. "I miss her, though I didn't know as well as I would have liked." Talisa took a step further into the tent and rested her hands on the back of a chair.

"I admired her so much; her strength, intelligence, bravery, and not to mention her beauty. I remember watching her duel with one of the warriors and wishing I could be that strong; I still wish that."

Robb closed his eyes and smiled, becoming used to the feeling once more, and thought over everything Talisa had just said. Dimeria's beauty is what first captured his attention, then her fighting skills. He chuckled thinking about all the sarcastic comments she would make; making some men laugh and making others redden their faces in embarrassment or anger, usually both.

"Yes, she's a great fighter, though her words are much sharper than her sword." Robb said with a small laugh. Talisa smiled at him, happy that he seemed to be doing better.

"I guess I should be speaking of her in the past tense though, shouldn't I?" Robb murmured.

Talisa frowned at him with pity. "You don't know that."

"I don't know it, or I don't want to admit it?" He asked.

"Look, Dimeria is not a very emotional person." Talisa began with a chuckle, bringing another small smile from Robb, for he knew it was true.

"But whether she is dead or not, she would not want you acting like this. She hated showing her feelings because she believed it was a weakness and right now, for you, it is. You can't get your mind off of her and it's not helping you at all."

Robb listened to her words, letting them sink in.

"Remember Dimeria, but don't dwell on her. She would want you to focus on the most important task at hand, which is getting your sisters back."

Seeing Robb and believing that she had gotten through to him at least a little, she turned to take her leave.

"Thank you." Robb called to her back.

She turned and smiled at him kindly, and Robb finally felt some of the sadness drift away and perhaps some of the attachment he had for Dimeria slipped away also.

…

Dimeria dreamt of Robb that night. Dimeria didn't know why, but he was crying out for her. It was like she was in 2 places at once; she was standing in front Robb and at the same time she was watching everything from above, like a random observer. As she was watching herself and Robb, she felt her heart race in panic; she needed to help Robb. Dimeria watched herself stand in front of him as he was crying out for help and she couldn't help the feeling of her heart dropping when she saw herself turn and walk away. Dimeria saw herself leave Robb in his pain and anguish.

She awoke with tears threatening to spill from her eyes as soon as she opened them. It was still dark out; she apparently hadn't been sleeping very long. The tears streamed down her cheeks as she forced herself to calm down. Dimeria hated to admit it, but she missed Robb...she missed him a lot.

So many thoughts and feelings resurfaced just from the events of that day alone. Dimeria began thinking of Jon for the first time in, how long had it been? At least half a year. He suddenly came to mind when Jaime had mentioned her time at Castle Black, how could he not?

It was always in the back of her mind, but she began musing over who her parents were when Jaime began speculating whether or not she was part wildling. Seven hells, she hoped she wasn't.

And then once again she was forced to confront her feelings for Robb. Dimeria scolded herself; she let her beliefs wither away over the past few months. She never allowed her feelings to rule her life; they caused you to make brash and unreasonable decisions, much like she did that night. She decided that she needed to get control over that if she wanted to keep her and Jaime out of trouble for the rest of their travels.

Jaime.

He had a true talent for making Dimeria question herself. Not once had she questioned her actions so much until she met the Lannister Golden Boy.

_Not so much of a Golden Boy anymore, is he…_ She thought to herself.

Dimeria rolled over on her side and peered over the edge of her bed at Jaime. She began wondering what could have driven him to make such defining decisions in his life. Killing the Mad King, fucking his own sister and fathering her children, and then pushing poor Bran from a window; what was going through his mind at the time? Dimeria had the feeling that a lot of his decisions were made by the same thought process she tried to have; what was most important at the time? Perhaps spending more time with Jaime would get her back on that mindset...she hoped so.

Her thoughts over Jaime's life were what lulled her back to sleep. What must his life had been like after he killed the king, what made him decide he loved his sister so much; it interested her quite a bit, but not in a vengeful sort of way, she just wanted to know. Dimeria never seemed to judge him for it; she really didn't care, for it was in the past and honestly, she didn't see how fucking his sister and killing the Mad King affected her at all.

* * *

_**So obviously you guys know how killing Aerys Targaryen affects Dimeria, but she's still pretty clueless. Let me know how you guys are liking the story, I love reading your reviews!**_

_**Until next time...**_


	19. Chapter 20

_**A/N: Yay! 111 followers...you guys rock! This part is a bit longer than ones before, so be ready!**_

_**Thanks to **__**ZabuzasGirl **__**and **__**amrawo**__** for the reviews!**_

_**...okay...start reading now!**_

* * *

"Have we found the little brat, Arya?" Queen Cersei asked the squire.

"No, my Queen, but-"

"Then why are you here?" She asked slowly. It was not hateful snap, but her anger and wrath still made their point clear.

"We received a raven today, my Queen. About your brother."

Fear immediately encased Cersei's heart. Receiving a raven could mean that he was dead; she didn't know if she could handle that. Deep down Cersei knew that Robb Stark would never kill Jamie; it was an absolutely foolish move, but her mind would not comprehend the political reason, there was only fear of Jamie's death.

She kept her emotions in check like she always did; hiding them behind an impassive, yet slightly bitter mask.

"Are you going to read it, or just stand there?" She asked the squire.

"Allow me, my Queen." Varys offered.

She was sitting at a table with the Small Council, all of them called together because of this raven they had received. The eunuch took the small scroll from the young boy, revealing the hands that he usually kept tuck within his sleeves. He read over it quickly, for he knew it was dangerous to test the Queen's patience. Varys surprisingly raised his brow at the news in the scroll, making Cersei clench her hands in impatience.

"What does it say?" She asked through partially gritted teeth.

"It seems your brother has escaped from Robb Stark's army."

Murmurs of pleasure and surprise rode through the small council like a wave, ending with a comment from the newly appointed Hand, Tyrion Lannister.

"Well, it seems you've gotten lucky, big sister."

Cersei sent him a bored, yet inquisitive look as to what he was talking about.

"They no longer hold any leverage on us, but we do on them. Of course, maybe if you hadn't allowed King Joffrey to chop of Ned Stark's head and actually kept an eye out for Arya, this war could be close to being over." Tyrion said, enjoying that Cersei was the one that screwed up this time.

"Yes, I suppose I am lucky, aren't I?" Cersei said through fully gritted teeth this time. She had already gotten this speech from Tyrion already; she did not desire to hear it again.

"Though you must pray your luck continues, Stannis Baratheon is still sailing for King's Landing." Tyrion said.

"And why should that concern me? This Keep is impenetrable."

"Yes, impenetrable when you are dealing with a small band of smugglers." Tyrion retorted. "Stannis has an entire fleet. That means many more ships than we have, do you understand?"

Cersei glared across the table at Tyrion, steam almost rising off of her golden locks. The rest of the small council shifted uncomfortably in their seats; Tyrion was never afraid to challenge the Queen Regent.

"Leave us, all of you." Cersei demanded the rest of them, sensing their discomfort and not wanting to be further humiliated in front of them.

Tyrion remained lounged in his seat, pursing his lips and waiting for Cersei to speak with him after they were in private.

"Joffrey has taken it upon himself to make plans for this battle." Cersei said as she walked to take the seat to her brother's right.

"Has he? And what has he planned?"

Cersei didn't answer; knowing that informing him that Joffrey was involved would pique his interest, but would annoy him if he didn't know what the King was doing. Tyrion breathed slowly through his nose, hoping to calm himself down. He moved the conversation to a different topic, wondering if he could get a feel as to what his sister was feeling; she was always the secretive type.

"You must be happy? Getting your brother back and without having to trade Sansa Stark."

"And why should I not be, he is my brother...and yours regrettably. Are you not happy?" Cersei asked avoiding eye contact.

"Oh I'm thrilled! I bet Joffrey will be too...getting his Uncle Jamie back, that's quite the achievement." Tyrion said with a knowing smile.

He got up, getting ready to leave Cersei alone with her thoughts. Before he completely walked out, he decided to offer his sister one last piece sibling advice.

"You may want to clear your bed, dear sister. Jamie will surely be making his way here quickly; he must be excited to see you."

…

Nearly 2 weeks had passed and Jamie and Dimeria were almost out of the Riverlands. The anxiety that had remained in Dimeria's body was slowly morphing into excitement at the thought that their travels to King's Landing was coming into a better view. They were in a dangerous part of the Riverlands though; a bridge that was actively travelled by many people was only a day ahead of them and they still had to figure out a way to get across without being seen by someone who recognized them.

"It would probably be safe to travel in the dark." Jamie told Dimeria.

She nodded her agreement and thought ahead to the bridge. To her, it was almost a kind of landmark; a symbol that half of their journey was now behind them.

"We should reach the river by tomorrow." He said.

The past 2 weeks had been surprisingly pleasant for Jamie. Dimeria was a perfectly fine travelling partner and although they fought and bickered most of the time, they could just as easily share a good laugh.

The sound of hooves sounded from in front of them and both of the warriors instinctively moved their hands to their swords. A small party of 5 men approached them; 2 men on horseback and the other 3 on foot.

"What've we got here?" One man on horseback asked, dismounting his horse.

"Just 2 travellers." Jamie answered simply. He easily recognized the men as being members of an army from the Riverlands.

"Aye, we can see that. I'm Herald, where are you headed?" The first man introduced himself.

"South." Dimeria answered, though that much was obvious.

Herald seemed amused at her answer and smirked at her.

"What army do you belong to?" Jamie asked, redirecting the conversation to a topic where they might get some information.

"Roose Bolton's, though I guess that makes us Robb Stark's men also." Herald said with a slight hint of annoyance in his voice.

Dimeria's immediately clenched in panic. _How did he get ahead of us?_ She asked herself.

"Robb Stark's taken Harrenhal, we're set to scout the lands around the bridge, especially the backroads...like this one." Herald said suspiciously. "What are you doing avoiding the main roads? You'd make it south much quicker on the main ones."

The rest of men stepped closer, placing their hands on their weapons like Dimeria and Jamie. Dimeria gulped almost audibly and felt her hands tingle in anticipation at the coming fight. Jamie seemed much more composed and raised his brows nonchalantly.

"Maybe we like seeing the country." Jamie offered. His face was covered with a beard and his hair was much longer than it usually was; he hoped that was enough to keep the soldiers from recognizing him. It seemed that these men hadn't been in the encampment when Dimeria was around, for they hardly paid any attention to her.

"Or maybe you're avoiding soldiers...like us." Herald said stepping closer.

"That's Jamie Lannister…" A man said behind Herald.

"I wish you hadn't said that." Jamie said shaking his head.

"And why's that? Because you know we're taking you with us to Robb Stark?" Herald asked mischievously.

"No." Jamie said drawing his sword and Dimeria following suit. "Because now we're going to have to kill you."

Jamie lunged at Herald viciously; Herald barely drawing his own sword up in time to block him, but Jamie already had him off balance and with a second strike, killed Herald with a blow to his throat.

Dimeria, realizing that at least one man would try to escape from them, sent Herald's horse away with a slap to its backside and watched with quick relief as it galloped away from the soldiers. The second man on horseback though, had already begun to turn his horse around to get away. After disposing of Herald, Jamie grabbed a dagger from his boot (another stolen token from the 3 men before) and lodged it in the back of the man's head that was on the horse with disturbing accuracy. He fell to the ground dead; the horse still galloping away.

By now, Dimeria had busied herself with the man who had identified Jamie. He was not an experienced fighter and Dimeria easily crippled him by slicing his hamstrings. He fell to his knees in pain, screaming and wailing at Dimeria's back. She turned and widened her eyes at Jamie's sudden predicament and the fact that he was not aware of it. There he was, fighting beautifully and getting ready to eliminate his adversary, while another man was creeping up behind him; sword in hand and murder in his eyes. Jamie never would have gotten out of it alive if it weren't for Dimeria. She hardly even thought. She couldn't if she wanted to save Jamie's life. Killing for her very first time wasn't exactly something she had time to mull over. As Jamie was shoving his blade through the other man's stomach, Dimeria screamed out his name.

"Jamie!"

She ran forward with her own blade in hand and swung with all her might at the last soldier. Dimeria didn't even feel her sword run through the man's neck as she decapitated him. The man's head fell to the ground, his face forever frozen in shock and terror, for the last thing he saw was Dimeria charging at him. She stared at the grotesquely twitching body in horror, her breaths coming rapidly and her head pounding loudly in her ears.

She killed a man.

Words escaped her mind. How was she supposed to feel? At the moment, all she felt was sick. Her hands shook and her throat clenched tightly as her stomach threatened to empty all of its contents. Dimeria remained impassive, though. She refused to show the disgust and terror she was beginning to feel at the crime she committed. And that's what it was: a crime.

She swallowed the hard lump in her throat and walked back to the man that she had crippled. He was still writhing on the ground in pain, but his eyes locked to her face in distress, for he had seen what Dimeria had done. Dimeria stared down at him; her face revealing nothing, but her eyes pooling with the jumble of emotions she was feeling; guilt, anger, disgust, and many more. Her chest felt tight as her heart pounded so quickly that it felt as if it were hardly beating at all.

_Why not…? _She asked herself as she continued to stare down at the man. In the blink of an eye, she lifted her sword once more and drove it through his throat; ending his agony. Her face was a mask of nothing, emotionless and blank. Her movements were almost robotic as she went over to the side and wiped her blade clean in the grass.

"Dimeria." Jamie muttered quietly. The whole scene baffled him completely; he didn't think her capable of killing.

"We should hide their bodies, that way no one finds them." She said indifferently.

Jamie moved without argument, knowing that it was the smartest thing to do. He watched Dimeria carefully. She remained impassive; seeming more like an empty shell of herself, rather than the passionate, if not annoying girl she usually was.

Once they had cleared the area, they began walking again. No words were said because neither knew what words to say. Dimeria didn't like showing her emotions, so she didn't, but that didn't mean she didn't feel at all. Dimeria was a tough girl, tougher than a lot of men; growing up with dangerous brutes at Castle Black ensured that, but she had never felt like this. Something felt off inside of her; like when you walk into a room and something's missing, but you're just not quite sure what it is. She couldn't exactly call it regret because, well, she didn't regret it; Dimeria had to kill that man.

His face wouldn't leave her mind though; it floated before her clearer than the path ahead of them. Her heart felt strained and shattered; almost like it would just die out if it had to endure such an act of treachery again. Dimeria had lost a piece of herself with that man and then another smaller piece with the second man. Small bits of her innocence and purity remained with their dead corpses, leaving fresh and sensitive wounds on Dimeria's heart.

She and Jamie settled for the night within the thick trees, a small stream that branched off from the main river they were about to cross further in. They made a small fire and sat around it; Dimeria staring at the dancing flames, Jamie staring at her. He knew Dimeria was struggling with her first kill; he was struggling with it in his own way also. Jamie wouldn't admit it, but he respected Dimeria for never have killed a man before. It was almost as if she represented what he had once wanted for himself, maybe still wanted. Now that goodness within her was gone...just like him.

"How do you do it, Jamie? Kill people…" Dimeria asked him as she finally realized that he had been observing her for a while.

"I'm a member of the Kingsguard. It's my job to protect the King...killing if that's what it takes." He told her.

Dimeria swallowed and drew her knees in to her chest, settling her chin on them.

"Does it get easier?"

"Not easier but, you get used to it eventually...almost like you become numb to it." Jamie told her as he began staring into the flames himself.

Dimeria bit her lip at his statement. The wounds on her heart were still oozing with pain; pain that she didn't want. If what Jamie said was true, the wounds would scab over and stop bleeding, but they would never fully heal.

"Maybe becoming numb is what's best for me."

Jamie jerked his gaze back to her, her blue eyes reflecting the dancing blaze into his own. He shook his head at her sternly, saying:

"No, it's not."

"How do you know?" She asked.

"You lose yourself when you become numb. Not showing your emotions is one thing, but refusing to feel them is completely different. Feeling is part of what makes us human."

Dimeria broke eye contact, considering his words.

"Don't become numb, Dimeria. Don't lose yourself." Jamie told her. He rolled over onto his side, his back facing her.

Jamie couldn't let Dimeria lose herself. Her ferocity and passion were her defining traits; without those things, she wouldn't ever be the same person. Truth be told, Jamie was scared for her.

Jamie didn't want Dimeria to change.

* * *

Sleep did not come easy for Dimeria that night. Her vision was filled with images of the man she had killed. What was his name? Where was he from? Did he have a family? Or was he like Dimeria, a bastard child? Dimeria desperately tried to justify her actions; Jamie would have died if she hadn't had acted, she had to do it.

She tossed over restlessly on her side.

That other man, though...did she have to kill him? He was already incapacitated; he didn't really need to die…

_No…_ She told herself, rolling over again.

The blood running down her blade arose in her mind, making her stomach queasy and her heart race in panic.

She had to do it. She had to kill those men; both of them. She and Jamie would be in even more danger if they were alive. She had to kill them. She had no other choice. She did the right thing. Right?

What kind of a person was she? A murderer? No, she saved Jamie's life, but that didn't justify the fact that she killed that second man in cold blood, with absolutely no reason at all. A memory stirred in the back of her mind; a vision of a poor man losing his leg because he was fighting his king's war. Robb had done that to him, or so Dimeria thought at the time. She had gotten so mad at him for it, but look at her now; she was in the same position, killing someone who was only doing what he was ordered.

She tossed over once again on the ground.

Dimeria was a hypocrite. Images flashed in and out her mind; the man's face as she struck his head off, the look of terror of the second man as she drove her sword through his throat, the coat of blood running down her blade like a red waterfall. Her sword glinted in the sunlight with a dangerous glare; a glare meant for treachery and killing. The sword shined bright in the air, blinding her eyes, blocking her thoughts...until it came down on her head.

She sat up quickly, drawing her blade instinctively and gasping for breath. Dawn had come; a low burning candle shining through the treetops.

It was a dream. That man wasn't condemning her to his same fate; it was all a dream. Desperately trying to catch her breath, she looked to her sword and dropped it out of fear. It was still coated in blood. She rubbed her eyes and stood up, not wanting to be anywhere close to the weapon. Her hands shook and her head buzzed with confusion; it wasn't coated in blood, what was wrong with her?

But she couldn't bear to re-sheathe her blade. Dimeria was dangerous with that thing; if she used it again, only the Gods knew what would happen. She gulped and gnawed on her lip, almost biting a hole through it.

_Don't be stupid…_ She said to herself.

Fighting was a part of Dimeria's life; it was part of what made her who she was, she could never just give it up. She shook her head and forced a laugh to come out of her mouth at how ridiculous she was being, but she didn't feel ridiculous; she felt terrified and guilty.

A stirring behind her made her jump in fear. When did she start jumping in fear? She wondered. Jamie lazily opened his eyes at her.

"What are you doing?" He asked, sleep still in his voice.

"Nothing!" She said feeling panicked, though she didn't know why.

This made Jamie raise fully, confused as to why she reacted so strangely.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes. Why wouldn't I be?" Dimeria asked indignantly. Of course she was fine, she had no reason to be otherwise. Killing someone for the first time shouldn't make someone act so strange, should it?

Suspicion trickled through Jamie's mind. Dimeria was still traumatized about killing someone for the first time and he knew it. Dark circles rested under her eyes, which were bloodshot and red. Her hands shook and she was biting her lip more than she usually did; Jamie saw the signs and Dimeria did too, but she chose to ignore them.

Jamie had once felt the same way; a long time ago when he had killed the Mad King, sometimes he still felt that guilt, but he buried it deep inside him. Somehow, that repressed guilt and anger had made him into the person he was today; a monster to many people. The whispers and murmurs behind his back used to drive Jamie crazy, but once again, he shoved it all down inside. Jamie hardly felt anything anymore; almost like he had forgotten how to, but when he did it always was hidden away.

Then he met Dimeria. She was fierce, brave, and honorable, but also naive, sarcastic, and sometimes arrogant; many of the traits Jamie once had, or maybe still had, but were just lost within him somewhere. Jamie saw himself in Dimeria, what he once wanted to be. He had let that person to drift away when he allowed himself to become numb, but he couldn't let Dimeria do that; it would be almost like he was losing his aspirations all over again.

"We should get going. If we leave now, we can be at the bridge early and plan what our next move is to make sure we're safe." Jamie told her.

"Yeah, okay." Dimeria mumbled as she began moving forward immediately; almost as if physically moving would also mentally move her mind away from her guilty thoughts.

She threw her pack over her shoulder and started making her way through the trees, knowing that Jamie wouldn't be too far behind.

"You forgetting something?" Jamie asked, slightly moving her sword that was still on the ground with his foot.

Dimeria's face flushed and she clenched her hands. She tried to ignore her cluttered feelings and forced a laugh from her mouth.

_How could I have forgotten my sword…?_ She asked herself.

Her weapon, the extension of her arm; how did it escape her mind? Telling herself to focus and get her act together, Dimeria bent down to pick up her sword with shaky hands. Flashing images of the blood stained blade appeared in her mind as she briefly looked at her sword before putting it in its sheath.

"Shall we?" Dimeria said to Jamie.

Jamie nodded, though it wasn't necessary because Dimeria was hardly even making eye contact. Dimeria was tense; her shoulders were tight, her hands were clenched at her sides, and her footsteps were rigid and stiff. The silence seemed normal to Jamie, but to Dimeria it was torture and only put her nerves further on edge. She felt as if at any moment someone would jump out and attack them and she would have no other choice but to kill them, or let them kill her; it surprised her that she couldn't decide which option she would rather go with.

"You're awfully quiet today." Jamie said after a long while. "Anything on your mind, little warrior?" Jamie had to get her to talk; it would help her get her focus back, which she was obviously having trouble retaining.

"It's nothing." She answered too quickly.

"Are you sure?" He asked, curiosity practically dripping from his mouth. "You seem rather distracted, little warrior."

"I said I'm fine, Lannister!" Dimeria screamed at him. "And stop calling me little warrior!"

Her outburst took Jamie aback and he looked at her with startled eyes. She was red in the face and her exhausted eyes were raging. Jamie tilted his head, annoyed with her sudden overreaction.

"You're obviously not fine, Dimeria." He said putting emphasis on her name.

"Just leave me alone!" Dimeria huffed at him angrily as she began stomping away.

"You almost left your sword back there...what was that all about?" Jamie asked, putting more effort into drawing her emotions out.

Dimeria faltered in her steps and almost turned back around to scream at him some more, but decided against it; his mention of her forgetfulness only brought forth more of the guilt she had been trying so hard to suppress.

But Jamie would not relent; this was what Dimeria needed, she needed to confront her her actions so she would no longer be plagued with what they were making her feel.

"If killing someone makes you so disgusted with yourself, then why did you do it?!" He asked Dimeria as he quickened his pace to catch up with her.

Her rapid movement of spinning around caught him off guard a little and he stepped away from her.

"I had to kill him! He would have killed you if I hadn't done it!" Dimeria shouted, sounding almost desperate in her reasoning.

"Exactly." Jamie said, lowering his voice slightly, but still remaining firm. "You had to do it. You know that, I know that...why are you allowing yourself to feel so guilty?"

Dimeria groaned loudly in frustration and began storming off again.

"You don't understand!" She yelled back to him.

But Jamie did understand. He understood everything.

…

It was late afternoon when they reached the bridge. Jamie peeked out from the trees to scope out what everything looked like. For now, it looked clear, but you never knew who was just on the other side of the river. Behind him, Dimeria was pacing anxiously; flexing her hands and biting her lip. The thought of running into more men who wished to capture them was driving her mad, for she knew she would be forced to fight them and possibly end their lives.

"We'll cross at nightfall. It'll be easier to hide who we are." Jamie said turning back to Dimeria.

"You've already said that multiple times." She grumbled back to him.

Jamie stared at her, dissatisfaction and annoyance blazing in his eyes.

"You were bitter enough before; killing for the first time has made it even worse." Jamie said to her back.

Dimeria turned angrily to face him; fire blazing behind her blue eyes, but Jamie held his ground. Crossing his arms over his chest; he raised a blonde brow, almost daring Dimeria to say something back to him. Dimeria huffed at him crossly and walked further into the trees to be alone.

Jamie was right and Dimeria knew it. This guilt was making her edgier and harsher than she already was, but she didn't know what to do about it! Back at Castle Black, she used to just train furiously to blow off some steam, but now...she was afraid to just look at her sword. Dimeria no longer had an outlet, no wonder she felt so angry and tense. Upset and embarrassed, Dimeria looked behind to make sure Jamie wasn't looking or following her. They were still in each other's viewpoint, but their backs were turned. She leaned back against a tree and allowed the hot tears to spill down her cheeks. Eyes closed or not, Dimeria couldn't get the face of her first kill out of her mind. She hated herself so much for committing the act that she detested everyone else for doing. Dimeria sunk down to the ground, brought her knees to her chest and began quietly crying as she delved deeper and deeper into her guilty thoughts.

Irritation pricked at Jamie's mind as he watched Dimeria stomp away from him. He tried not to hold it against her though; he just wished that she would go back to her old self. She was so anxious and tense; no longer was she focused and determined about her journey south, it seemed more like she had completely forgotten about it. Jamie pitied Dimeria, but was also annoyed with her, for she was stirring feelings within him that he hadn't felt in such a long time. He had been in the same position as Dimeria before, but he managed to get himself together, or so he thought. He had begun doubting that ever since he had started getting to know Dimeria.

So deep were the 2 fighters in their thoughts that they weren't aware of anything going on around them. The sun was setting quickly, casting ominous shadows from the trees. Dark figures flitted around them, but they didn't notice. Closer and closer the figures came until they had Dimeria and Jamie completely surrounded.

They were being captured.

* * *

_**Woops, sorry for the cliffhanger! Poor Dimeria, she's obviously going through some inner conflict right now. It's really important to see how much killing someone has affected her, so I hope I'm getting that across well enough.**_

_**Let me know how I did! Thanks everyone!**_

_**Until next time...**_


	20. Chapter 21

**A/N: Here's another chapter! These parts are a lot of fun to write, but also a little stressful...Dimeria's a pretty complicated character sometimes…**

**Thank you to ****ZabuzasGirl, wolfpackgirl92, amrawo, ****and ****guest**** for reviewing! You guys are great! To amrawo and guest...Don't worry about Jaime's hand. That's one of the first things I ever decided to change when I wrote this :)**

****IMPORTANT** **

**There will be a slight interlude/hiatus/intermission type thing for maybe a little over a week when I'm on vacation. Hope you guys stay with me!**

**Okay this is really long...START READING!**

* * *

Crackling leaves nor crunching grass alerted Dimeria. How long she had been sitting there, she did not know, but the moon was up and an eerie darkness had settled.

Had Dimeria been in her right mind, she would've been able to escape unscathed, but obviously; she was not in her right mind. She found it hard just to focus, there was no way she could have been aware that she was being surrounded. A loud snapping of a twig finally jolted Dimeria to her senses. She jumped to a standing position to find 3 men stepping out of the trees toward her. More of Lord Bolton's men she assumed by the looks of their armor.

_Bolton…_ She thought.

She knew he was one of Robb's bannermen, but why was he sending his own soldiers out now?

The men didn't even waste time for pointless conversation; they immediately began attacking Dimeria. She side-stepped the first man and lifted her sword to the right to counter another. Quickly spinning, she came back around to face her 3 adversaries. If her instinct had not been built up over many years, she would have frozen out of fear with the condition her mind was in.

Again they attacked her viciously and put her on the defensive, but Dimeria was a skilled enough fighter to quickly turn the tables and become the attacker. Her feet became blurs and her sword was a glinting instrument of death in the moonlight.

Her body had taken over when her mind couldn't comprehend what was happening, but her mind was beginning to catch up. Dimeria easily saw their weaknesses and with quick parries and thrusts; she was beginning to exploit them. One of the men was slow to his left and didn't defend the opening that was being revealed. Dimeria saw the opportunity clearly and made the essential moves to open it up again. She loaded up to drive her sword through the man's side, but then…

She saw him again, the dead man's face.

Dimeria paused and felt her heart flutter. Her mind became flooded with images of blood and death once more. She couldn't do it; she couldn't bring herself to kill again.

Dimeria dropped her sword.

…

Tulkas and about a dozen other members of Robb's own army had been appointed to remain in Harrenhal. Tulkas didn't trust these men from Lord Bolton's army, but he trusted his King, so he made no objections.

There he was with Commander Locke and many other men, tracking down the people who had killed the small search party of 5 the day before. At least, they assumed all of the them dead, for only their horses returned. They saw the Kingslayer first. Apparently Robb's army had gotten ahead of him since they had been using the main roads rather than the back ones like Jaime.

Tulkas grinned in anticipation; he couldn't wait to recapture the Kingslayer. But there was someone else with him. The large search party split into 2, surrounding both of them. Tulkas went off with the second group and that's when he saw Dimeria. She was the last person he expected to see; why would she be with Jaime Lannister? Some men had believed her kidnapped when Jaime first escaped, but eventually everyone assumed her to be dead.

Tulkas suddenly remembered the first time he met Dimeria. She was fierce, sarcastic, and sometimes just flat out rude; honestly, Tulkas was just intimidated by her. Yet as he looked at her now, she seemed hardly any of those things. She was upset, crying; she looked almost...broken, definitely not the warrior he was accustomed.

Three of the men Tulkas was with moved further into position to attack Dimeria while he stayed hidden in the brush and trees He still didn't believe what he was seeing; surely that wasn't really Dimeria…

Then the fighting began.

Tulkas suddenly feared for the 3 men's lives; Dimeria would have no issue defeating them. Dimeria's fluid movements entranced Tulkas; he thought her to be one of the best fighters in the Realm, maybe better than the Kingslayer, which brought him back around to the same question: What was she doing with Jaime Lannister?

Surely she wouldn't have just allowed him to take her hostage, but what other possibility was there. Did she actually release Jaime?

Tulkas shook away the speculation; that just wasn't who Dimeria was. A lapse in the ringing of colliding steel stole Tulkas from his thoughts. He looked up in time to see Dimeria drop her sword to the ground.

_What…?_ Tulkas widened his eyes in surprise.

The 3 soldiers immediately pounced on Dimeria, kicking her sword to the side and forcing her to her knees as they held her arms behind her back. Disbelief and confusion was painted on his face along with Dimeria's, it seemed as though she hadn't expected herself to just give up either.

Words that Tulkas could not hear were exchanged as they tied Dimeria's hands behind her back. She said something back to the men, gaining a hard hit across her face that knocked her to the ground. It was then that Tulkas and whoever else that had been hiding in the trees were called to come out. Tulkas could not take his eyes of Dimeria, but she didn't seem to notice him.

Sounds of fighting were still being heard from the Kingslayer's direction, so they jerked Dimeria to her feet and began pushing her forward. Tulkas lingered behind and grabbed Dimeria's fallen sword. He peered at it closely as if the steel would provide him with some answer as to why she didn't fight back, but all he saw was some dried blood towards the handle of the blade.

…

Jaime's worry for Dimeria only increased when he realized they were being attacked. He desperately hoped that Dimeria could overcome whatever issue she was facing and come out of this safely. He knew Dimeria was a great fighter, but whether she could handle that kind of situation again was a different question. His fears were confirmed when he saw Dimeria being pushed towards him, hands tightly bound behind her back.

"Make one more move, Kingslayer, and she dies." The man behind Dimeria threatened as he pulled a dagger and held it to her throat.

"What makes you think I care?" Jaime asked.

He ignored Dimeria's glare, for she thought Jaime was about to leave her in the dark.

"Pretty girl like her?" The man said jerking her head back with her long hair. "I don't care if you fuck your sister or not, no way you can just let this one die!"

Jaime mentally winced at the mention of his sister, but gave no reply. The man waited a moment longer before exposing Dimeria's throat even more and saying:

"Alright then." He made a move with the dagger, ready to slide it through her skin, but Jaime thankfully interrupted.

"Wait."

The main waited.

"Surely we can make a deal." Jaime offered.

"Not this time, Kingslayer. I couldn't care less about you and your family's damn debts and if we don't deliver you back to the King in the North, he'll have all our heads!"

The soldier gave a rough shove to Dimeria.

"Bind his hands too!" He ordered a man behind Jaime. He yanked the sword from Jaime's hand and forced his arms behind his back. During which time, Jaime was staring at Dimeria with concern. He could practically see the conflict in her deep blue eyes. Confusion, regret, guilt, and anger; so much anger was present in her orbs, more than Jaime had ever seen before and Dimeria had no way to release it.

They pushed Jaime to his knees and shoved Dimeria over to him on the ground. Her nose was bleeding from the hit she had taken earlier.

"Are you alright?" Jaime asked her quietly.

And for once, Dimeria didn't even try to lie.

She shook her head 'no' saying, "I couldn't do it. He was right there and I couldn't do it."

She spoke so lowly that Jaime almost didn't hear, but he could tell Dimeria was struggling to reign in her anger.

Dimeria couldn't understand why she couldn't just kill the man; he was more than ready to kill her if he had needed to. For most of the day she had felt anxious and guilty; add raging fury to the mix and one might have an understanding of the cacophony of emotions she was dealing with. The guilt was still present, but she was also enveloped with annoyance at the way it was affecting her. Dimeria hardly even felt like herself anymore.

Through the trees came a man named, Locke; the leader of the company Jaime and Dimeria assumed.

"Get them up, men! We're headed back to Harrnehal." Locke said with a grim smile.

Dimeria supposed that he expected some sort of fearful reaction, but none came forth since she knew nothing of Harrenhal. Locke glared profusely at her, but said nothing more as he made his way back out of the woods to ready the rest of his men.

Tulkas remained an observer the whole time, still trying to come to grips with the whole situation.

_What on earth is wrong with Dimeria…?_ He wondered.

The rest of the soldiers began to clear out while Tulkas wandered back to the area where Dimeria had been fighting. Her back was still lying on the ground, seemingly forgotten about by Dimeria and everyone else. No matter how suspicious Tulkas was of Dimeria, he still liked and very much respected her, so he took it upon himself to watch over her things; no doubt she would realize they were gone and want them back.

He didn't plan on taking anything, but Tulkas; curiosity got the best of him and he opened up Dimeria's pack. A breath of surprise escaped his lips when he saw what was inside.

Dragon eggs.

…

"Get your damn hands off me!" Dimeria screamed and thrashed as one of the men tried to push her around.

The soldier glared at her furiously and Dimeria once again earned a punched to the face. She did not fall to the ground this time, but she grunted in pain and kept her head down to hide the blood she could feel dripping out of her nose.

"Do you have a deathwish?" Jaime scolded her from the side.

"Shut up, Lannister." She snapped defensively, for his question struck a surprisingly sensitive chord within her that she didn't know she had.

"Don't do this to yourself, Dimeria." Jaime told her seriously. "When you were first captured by Robb Stark, did you fight senselessly to get what you wanted? No, you stayed calm and **focused**; you waited out your time." He said. "Do not be an idiot."

Jaime was right. Dimeria couldn't lose her focus...whatever it was she was focusing on, but her heart sped on sporadically, begging Dimeria to release her anger. Her nerves were itching for her to fight back in any way that she could, no matter what the consequences were.

Tulkas flinched slightly when he saw Dimeria get hit once more. The soldier was still fuming as she and the Kingslayer spoke, so Tulkas decided to step in.

"Go ahead, Mereas. I can handle her."

The man gave a gruff nod and shoved Dimeria one last time as he walked away.

"You still seem to excel in infuriating the men, Lady Dimeria." Tulkas said from close behind her.

Dimeria recognized the voice. "I thought we agreed there wouldn't be any titles between us, Tulkas."

The corners of Tulkas' lips twitched up; he was glad Dimeria remembered him.

"My apologies." He said. He glanced over to Jaime who had been looking at him curiously, wondering how he and Dimeria seemed to be on somewhat good terms.

"What are you doing with him, Dimeria?" Tulkas spat out venomously.

She didn't answer right away. Her hesitation brought an inquisitive stare from Jaime, so he answered for her.

"She released me." He said with a smug grin.

Choosing to ignore Jaime, Tulkas as Dimeria again. "Did you?"

"I had to." She muttered back to him.

"Do you realize what you've done to King Robb's tactical position?" Tulkas asked incredulously.

"Why should I care?!" She snapped.

"Because you care for him!" Tulkas retorted.

Dimeria shook her head dejectedly. "Not anymore. Caring doesn't help."

Her comment caught Tulkas by surprise and also Jaime. She sounded so heartless, so...detached. Dimeria only wished that she was; she was furious at everything, at everyone; she could only see red.

Once they had crossed the bridge, they met up with the rest of Locke's contingent. Dozens of men were setting up camp for the night; with fires being lit and tents being set. Jaime and Dimeria endures countless shoves and jerks until they were finally tied up.

"Just when I was finally getting used to being free, I'm right back in captivity." Jaime said nonchalantly.

His carefree tone grated against Dimeria's skin almost as much as the ropes cut into her wrists. If only her burning hatred could burn her binds away, then she might have felt better.

"Stop squirming and they won't rub against your wrists so much."

Dimeria sent daggers across the way. About a yard or so was in between them, so she could easily see his amused, green-eyed expression.

"How are you **not **squirming?" She questioned him.

"Is there really any point? We're in no position to be escaping and they'd just come back after us. And I'd like to save my energy, thank you very much." Jaime said condescendingly. "And besides, we don't have your weapons or your beloved pack."

Warning signs went off in Dimeria's head; bells and whistles erupted in her ears.

_My bag…_

Dimeria had completely forgotten about it. Once again, her reaction stunned Jaime. Forgetting her precious dragon eggs was the last thing he had expected Dimeria to do.

"Forget something important? My, first your sword and now your dragon eggs...you really are losing it." He said sarcastically.

Twisting and wriggling violently, Dimeria struggled even further with getting her binds loose. Red hot fury, burning white at the edges filled her vision, until an infuriatingly obnoxious voice pierced its way through.

"Dimeria, calm down! Forget it, okay?" Jaime ordered her. "It's not important."

Perhaps he was right; maybe her pack wasn't important.

But what was?

…

Dimeria awoke from a sleep she hadn't realized she had succumbed to with a headache. She flexed her aching muscles as best she could and felt the relieving tingle of blood flow.

"Good, you're awake." She heard Jaime say to her. "It's better to get up yourself than to have them do it with a kick to the ribs. Trust me, I know."

"Oh yes, you're experienced in all things aren't you, Lannister?" Dimeria said rolling her eyes.

"Yes, I'd like to think so. Although I wish it weren't true in the area of imprisonment, but it could help get us out of her alive." Jaime said as he looked around.

"**If **we get out of here alive." Dimeria mumbled.

"Trust me, I plan on living. Don't you?" He asked.

Dimeria didn't answer, looking almost as if she didn't even hear the question.

"Any sign of when we'll be leaving?" She inquired.

Jaime stared at her a moment longer before answering.

"Not much movement in the camp. But oh look, here comes our lovely guard." Jaime pointed out with a mocking smile and fake excitement.

That guard was bald, tattoos covering his dirty scalp. He stomped over to Jaime and Dimeria, eyes never leaving her lithe figure.

"Well, guess the boys were right-you are a pretty one!" He said, grinning a spine-tingling toothless grin.

"Yes, but you aren't…" Dimeria said under her breath.

"What'd you say, bitch!?" He yelled.

"Oh, nothing…" She said sweetly. The guard laughed at her, thinking he had scared her enough to take her words back, but that was not the case, so Dimeria continued.

"But I was just thinking: My, you are **not** a pretty one!" She said.

"Why you little…" The guard began, but his insults were drowned out by Dimeria's grunts of pain as he repeatedly kicked her in the abdomen.

At least it wasn't her nose again.

After taking his anger out on Dimeria's body, the guard went back into the heart of the encampment. Labored breaths expelled from Dimeria's lungs as she painfully forced herself to sit back up straight.

"You know, I don't particularly enjoy watching them beat the shit out of you, so if you don't mind…" Jaime trailed off. That was honestly the closest thing to Jaime admitting that he hated seeing her get hurt.

"My apologies, Lannister. I'll tell them to beat me up in private next time." She retorted sarcastically.

"Or...here's an idea: Stop giving them an incentive to hurt you."

"What do you expect me to do? I hate this!"

"What? Do you think I enjoy it?" Jaime argued. "I had enough of this in the north already."

A bitter glaze of hatred dulled his emerald eyes as he thought back to the moment Robb had captured him. He snapped out of his daze and looked back to Dimeria.

"Just stop making it worse for yourself. If you keep running your obnoxious mouth, they'll keep beating you..I did the same thing in Robb Stark's encampment." He advised Dimeria.

"Please, they didn't need you to run your mouth to beat you. They hated you already." Dimeria said.

Jaime shook his head. Sure, what she said was true, but that wasn't what annoyed him. There was no way to get through to Dimeria, at least not right now. He just hoped he would be able to save her in time. A bruise had formed on Dimeria's cheek from prior punches to the face. The bruises would only get worse; until they extended down into her very core, but from the looks of if, they seemed to have already started.

By late morning, Locke and his men finally packed up to begin moving again. Excluding the beating she first got that morning, Dimeria endured at least 4 more before they were forced to mount horses. She managed to hold her head high, though she herself didn't know how; what was the point in it anyway? The only thing she saw worth fighting for was figuring out a way to punish these men, but even then she wasn't doing a very good job.

Tulkas was tasked with keeping an eye on the prisoners and he wasn't as keen to do it as he was the day before. He swallowed his uncertainty and did as he was told though; that what was important.

"Dimeria, I thought I should inform you that I have your sword and...your pack." Tulkas said as he helped her onto her horse.

Dimeria widened her eyes and Jaime chuckled quietly on top the horse. He and Dimeria were set to ride together on one horse, backs facing each other.

"Where are they?" She asked, enunciating each word.

"I have them safe and hidden with my things. I know you have...valuable possessions."

"Thank you, Tulkas." She said quietly.

Tulkas only nodded in response and lifted her onto the horse. With a small bump, she sat back to back with Jaime, her heart feeling a tiny bit relieved at the news that her dragon eggs were safe, but it didn't help her much. If Dimeria thought that being guarded in Robb's camp was bad, she had an entirely new perspective.

Throughout the entire day, Locke's men stared at her and sent crass comments her way. She thought she had grown used to those at Castle Black, but she was becoming frightened. These men weren't like those she had grown close to at The Wall; they didn't care about honor.

Every time the men called out to her, Dimeria would feel Jaime either tense up or elbow her in the back to keep her from opening her mouth. Jaime felt it was his duty to try to keep her out of trouble. He never thought he would see Dimeria like this; so senseless and ignorant. It made things harder on him, trying to keep the both of them alive. Why couldn't she just see that she wasn't helping herself; that her focus should still be on trying to make it to King's Landing, not angering these men even further. Jaime supposed that had something to do with her own anger though; she could hardly see past her next proposed victim of rage. How long would her anger fuel her though? Jaime wondered.

Evening was drifting upon them; they would be setting up for camp soon.

"Dimeria." Jaime whispered.

"What?" She grunted more than spoke.

"Don't fight back tonight, it'll be easier."

"Did you not already give me this lecture?" She asked impudently. "Well, I'll try to consider it longer now that you've brought it up again."

"Dimeria, they are going to rape you." Jaime felt Dimeria tighten up and hold her breath. He took that as a sign that he had her attention.

"Just...don't struggle. There will be less pain that way." He said solemnly.

"You expect me to just give in to them!?" She gasped incredulously.

"I **know** you're going to fight, but…" Jaime sighed. What was he trying to say?

"I suppose you sympathize with them." Dimeria interrupted. "You probably know that it'd be much easier to rape a woman without any struggle."

Jaime's chest tightened up in anger at what she was insinuating.

"Do you really believe me to be such a monster?!" He snapped. "If I enjoyed rape, then I wouldn't have-"

Jaime stopped. He didn't want to think about Aerys Targaryen; he didn't want to be reminded of that time in his life, no less talk about it with his unknowing bastard daughter.

"You wouldn't have what?" Dimeria asked him curiously.

"Nothing." Jaime dismissed her. "If you want to fight and put yourself through that pain, fine." Annoyance flooded out of his mouth with his words. "You don't seem to realize that I'm trying to help you." He said. "You're too angry and stupid to realize it, so if you want to suffer, then go ahead. I don't care."

But Jaime did care. He cared more than he wanted to admit. He was determined to stop Dimeria from going down this dark path she was treading on, but he didn't know if he could.

To Jaime, it seemed like Dimeria didn't want to be saved.

* * *

**Okay, it's kind of wearing me out to write Dimeria-she's a lot of work. **

**Let me know what you think, I love reading everyone's reviews! Thanks a bunch!**

**Until next time...**


	21. Chapter 22

_**A/N: I'm back! So sorry for the long wait...life is busy :) Over the break, I got so many new followers and reviews so thank you SO MUCH. In the reviews, I got several questions so as a result, I made this chapter a bit shorter to spend some time answering those questions. Hope you don't mind!**_

_**So down at the bottom at the end of this chapter will be the questions and answers to the reviews. Enjoy!**_

* * *

Cool air whipped her hair all around her face. It rifled through her ears and brought tears to her dry eyes.

She was falling.

The roar of the air numbed her senses as she continued falling deeper and deeper into the dark abyss of nothingness. She didn't know how long she had been falling, just that she was going further down. The hole was endless, no stop could be seen and as she looked back up to the top; the light from the outside world was gradually getting smaller, until it was a miniscule dot, relentlessly taunting her with hopeless escape.

The fall wasn't coming to an end. She was in an eternal tunnel of black with no light bringing her solace or comfort.

With a painful '_thud_', Dimeria landed hard on her side from the fall off her horse.

"What the hell was that for?!" She snapped up at the guard who was harshly dragging Jaime of the horse.

"You were sleeping. Thought I'd be nice and wake you up." The guard said with an evil, toothy grin.

Growling as she pushed herself up, Dimeria heavily glowered at the man. Jaime purposely positioned his body in between Dimeria and the guard, though he was endangering himself, for Dimeria looked like a cat ready to pounce.

Jaime honestly didn't know how she was still mustering up any energy. She looked so beaten down; hair in messy wisps, shoulders tiredly slumped, and her face was bruised and swollen.

Following the usual routine, the men set up for camp and painfully tied Jaime and Dimeria to posts. Dimeria's heart beat rapidly, pounding against her chest so loudly that she believed everyone in the encampment could hear it. The guards that frequently passed by were like wolves in the night, staring at her like she was a piece of meat as they sent jeers and taunts her way. Normally Dimeria would've fought back; making her own retorts back to the men, but that night was different. Her words seemed to stick in her throat, like molasses covering bark on a tree.

Slowly but surely, the barrier broke. The clouds uncovered the moon and the men took their action.

"I think we've waited too long for this one, boys. Untie her." One of the guards commanded the others, one of them being Tulkas.

He stood idly by, avoiding the frightened, yet angry eyes of Dimeria. Before he knew it, Tulkas was watching Dimeria throw her limbs wildly in the air. Screams of desperate defiance escaped her lips, but the 3 other men forcefully dragged her away further into the trees.

Jaime watched disappointedly as Dimeria was pulled away; it would only be a matter of time before he heard her painful screams of anguish...and there was nothing he could do about it. Jaime gritted his teeth in frustration and tossed his back against the post he was tied to.

Dimeria truly wished she could have been in his position. She knew what was about to happen to her and she hated how helpless she felt. All the moments leading up to this one flashed before her eyes. Would she even be there if she had never killed that man back in the woods? Did someone find his dead body, like she suspected someone would eventually find hers? By the Gods, she wished she were the dead one right now instead of the one that was about to be raped.

The men shoved her to the ground; Tulkas being forced to hold her shoulders, the other men trying to figure out how they were going to position themselves around her body.

"Let me go! Get away from me!" Dimeria cried. Hot tears ran down her red cheeks, prickling the corners of her mouth with saltiness.

Tulkas held her shoulders down firmly, though he wished with his entire being he could help Dimeria escape; he wanted absolutely no part in this. Tulkas was loyal to Robb Stark; not Locke or Lord Bolton. Robb would never allow this to happen if this were his camp. How would Robb react if he found out that Dimeria was raped. He cared for her so much, surely someone would be punished.

The 3 other men moved their hands all up and down Dimeria's body, burning her senses as if their fingers were coated in acid. Sizzling trails were left on her skin in her most intimate places. Dimeria's heart fluttered endlessly in her chest, deafening her ears and making her head ache.

Down their poisonous hands moved; along her ribs, over her waist, and lingering over her most private area. She kicked her legs out viciously, making solid contact with someone's nose. A grunt of irritation and pain came from the mouth of the man positioned in between Dimeria's legs as he withdrew his wandering hands away from her body.

"You bitch!" He exclaimed loudly.

Hearing the outburst through the darkness, Jaime wasn't sure if it was a bubble of hope, or fear he felt when he heard the results of Dimeria fighting back. If she continued to resist, it would only make things harder on her and definitely more painful; Jaime didn't know if he could handle hearing those screams echo through the leaves and branches of the trees.

Once again, Dimeria whipped her foot out in front her, hitting the same man in his sternum. Falling back with the air knocked out of his lungs, the 2 other men on either side of her stopped their pleasure of Dimeria's body and began trying to reign her in. Tulkas subtly took pressure away from her shoulders, giving her more freedom to fight back.

Dimeria didn't notice the slight change in position, for her mind was in a whirlwind. The tunnel she often found herself in was blurred at the edges and endless in whatever direction she looked. Running blindly forward in her mind, Dimeria kicked upwards again, using her legs as best as she could to defend herself. The painful touches from the disgusting men's hands still lingered and motivated her to keep fighting.

Tulkas saw this as his moment to remove his hands from Dimeria's shoulders and quickly backed away.

"Hold her down, Tulkas!" The other men snapped in various ways.

"I've seen her fight, I'm not taking any chances." Tulkas said hiding his agenda to save Dimeria, but he honestly knew it was better to just stay out of her way.

"Fine. Get her on her knees. Whores have more than 1 warm, wet hole...mouth'll do just fine." One of the men said, lust dripping from his mouth like drool.

Tulkas hid his hesitation well as he was forced to bring Dimeria up to her knees. Hands being held behind her back, a dark chuckle seeped out of Dimeria's lips. It was forced and Dimeria had to hide the pride and surprise she felt for being able to act so well.

"What's so fucking funny?" A man asked her.

A shadow clouded Dimeria's blue eyes, resembling a brewing storm about to break loose.

"I've known plenty of men who were put in prison for raping women."

"Oh, is that so?" The man said mockingly. "Guess you should know what you're about to do then." He said fumbling around with the laces of his breeches.

"Yes, I definitely do."

The ominous tone in Dimeria's voice brought a stutter to his excited fingers. A wary gaze met Dimeria's hostile stare. She shook her white strand of hair away from her face and kept her eyes locked on her antagonist. Eyes were the most important part, if they saw the fear she truly felt, she would never get out of this.

"It's interesting, a lot of those men no longer possess the equipment necessary to even rape women anymore."

This was it, her last chance...for tonight anyway. But Dimeria couldn't see past her current situation; her tunnel was just too dark...it was now or never. Her adversaries were staring at her cautiously, awaiting her next words. Drawing a shaky breath, Dimeria took one small step forward in her endless tunnel.

"Do you know why?" She asked not really expecting any answers from the men. "Being raped is painful. And do you know what those women did when they were in pain?" Dimeria paused for dramatic effect. It was vital that she made her story convincing.

"They bit down." She said. "Hard. No matter what those men stuffed into their mouths. So yes, I am experienced in what I am about to do."

Ghosts replaced the 3 men in front of her and if she had been able to see Tulkas' face, she would've found the same lack of color in his cheeks. Nervous and shifty eyes flicked back and forth to each other; each pair looking to the first man to make a decision. Dimeria herself fixed her gaze on the man in front of her. The unseen obstacle in the tunnel was still blocking her path, though it looked as if maybe she had avoided the bump at the very last second. One step to the side was all it would take, but sometimes straying from your path can get you lost.

But Dimeria was already lost.

Her arms were suddenly released from her back.

"She's not worth it. Not tonight." Tulkas piped up behind Dimeria.

"Fine. You can get rid of us for tonight, but you won't be able to avoid us forever." The man in front of her said with a cold glare.

He turned to walk away, leaving Tulkas and the 2 other guards to handle Dimeria. Angry murmurs of disappointment were exchanged between the 2 men, but Tulkas kept his mouth shut. The only thing Tulkas wanted to say was some word of comfort to Dimeria, but he knew the other 2 guards would get him into the trouble if they heard him. Elation lifted Dimeria's heart momentarily; the first feeling of happiness she had felt for quite some time. She could hardly pay any mind to it though, those men would only try again the next night...and the next...and the next until they finally got what they wanted, which probably wouldn't take them very long; she couldn't fight them off forever and Dimeria wasn't even sure she wanted to. Her body still prickled from the toxic touch of the men's hands. Dimeria knew she would never be rid of the phantom touch they left on her; it would forever be etched in her mind to haunt her for the rest of her life.

_Why couldn't I have just died? _ She asked herself.

A sudden hand to her throat as she made her way to stand up brought Dimeria to the conclusion that maybe her unspoken wish we're coming true.

"What d'ya think you're doing?" The man with his hand wrapped around her throat asked. "You're not gettin out of this one so easy."

An erupting pain in her stomach sent her back down to her knees. A hit across her cheek sprawled her body onto the ground, leaving her completely vulnerable. Several more agonizing kicks and punches were exchanged; bruising her ribs and splattering blood on her face. Fire shot through her bones like cannon balls, knocking the wind out of her along with her will to live.

"She's had enough." Tulkas interrupted.

Dangerous looks we're sent his way from the 2 men who were not satisfied with that night's events. Tulkas gulped down his fear and covered his mistake.

"Wouldn't want to fuck a dead corpse tomorrow night, would you?" Tulkas said with a small smirk.

The men chuckled evilly and patted Tulkas on the shoulder, giving him congratulations for his clever thinking. Finally taking their leave, Tulkas was left alone with Dimeria's battered body on the ground. Tulkas was thrilled she wasn't raped that night, but he knew it wouldn't stay that way for long.

"Dimeria..." He said gently, trying to help her up.

"Don't touch me..." She whimpered with what little strength she had left.

Tulkas was taken aback. Didn't she know he was only trying to help? Shaking his head, he gently grabbed her elbow to pull her up.

"I said don't touch me!" She said loudly.

Tears fell freely from her eyes, mixing with the dark red blood from her nose and lips. Her white strand of hair was dirty, hardly the stark and pure color it once was.

"I have to tie you back up to the post." Tulkas told her.

A sob burst out of Dimeria's lips as she allowed Tulkas to guide her back to her post. Gods, she was tired; emotionally and physically. She had been violated...and she could do nothing to stop it. Since when was she not able to defend herself?

Tulkas tied her to the post rougher than he intended. Jaime snapped his eyes up, observing Dimeria closely. Once Tulkas left them, he finally spoke up.

"They didn't touch you..." Jaime stated more than asked.

"I wish." Dimeria croaked.

"They didn't rape you though."

"They may as well have." She said blankly.

Jaime stared at her inquisitively.

"What's the point." Dimeria continued. "They should just kill me and get it over with."

"Dimeria, you-you don't mean that." Jaime stuttered. She was only saying that because of what had just happened; he honestly didn't know how to console her.

"Don't I? There's nothing I can do. I-I can't fight anymore, I can't defend myself...I just-" More tears spilled from her blue eyes, clearing clean paths from her dirt covered face.

Jaime stayed silent; what could he possibly say to that?

"You'd probably be better off if I had died and not the man I killed." Dimeria said interrupting his thoughts.

"What?" Jaime asked with furrowed brows.

"You could've gotten away so much quicker if I had been gone. You wouldn't have gotten captured and-"

"Dimeria, you saved my life. I wouldn't be alive if it weren't for you!" Jaime interrupted her.

"You're happy to be alive?" Dimeria asked incredulously.

"Of course...and you should be too."

She wasn't though. The tunnel was darker than ever before and she wasn't even sure if she was moving forward anymore. Nothing seemed worth it anymore; she didn't even remember why she was on this journey.

Dimeria thought back to the time Jaime asked her if she had a death wish...

Of course she did.

…

Jaime could see the suffering in Dimeria's eyes; she had given up. He knew she wouldn't make it much longer if she continued on like this; he had to help her.

Dimeria hardly seemed like the woman he had met only a while ago; she was now just a shadow of what she once was: A Targaryen. Jaime didn't know what to do about that either; should he just tell her? He shook his head at his inner musings. Dimeria probably wouldn't even believe him if he told her who she was and besides, it wasn't his place to tell her anyway. Dimeria had enough going on in her mind; Jaime could only imagine what would happen to her if he added on who she truly was.

He looked across to her sleeping body, her head cocked uncomfortably on her shoulder. At least she was finally getting some sleep, though Jaime doubted it was a peaceful slumber. Jaime hardly slept himself these days that way he could watch over Dimeria. A stupid and irrational decision he thought, but he couldn't help the worry he felt for her. He needed Dimeria to survive this.

Needed.

Jaime never thought he would **need** anyone, but he for some reason felt tied to Dimeria...and not just because the guards often tied their hands together when they were travelling.

"You're still awake?"

Jaime didn't need to look to know that it was Tulkas speaking with him.

"You're a very observant person, aren't you?" Jaime responded, eyes to still on Dimeria.

Tulkas ignored the sarcastic comment and continued. "Why are you with her?" He asked.

"I told you; she released me from Robb Stark."

"I mean right now. I would've expected you to just kill and be rid of her as soon as she freed you." Tulkas spat bitterly.

"You know, I'm not quite the monster you all think me to be." Jaime said.

"You pushed a child from a tower and crippled him for life." Tulkas argued.

"Ah...details…" Jaime muttered. "Everyone thinks of the past too much. I like to focus on the present."

"And the future-**Your** future. Do you plan on keeping her around in the future?" Tulkas said gesturing to Dimeria.

"I've thought about it." Jaime answered curtly.

"Oh really? As what, your personal whore?"

Jaime fixed a chilling green glare on Tulkas.

"I do not, and I wont **ever** treat Dimeria that way." Jaime said through gritted teeth.

Tulkas started quizzically at Jaime, puzzled by his answer. He never expected Jaime to be so protective of Dimeria.

"And besides, it's you I should be worrying about. You're one of the men that took her off to be raped tonight." Jaime continued hatefully.

Once again, Tulkas was surprised by Jaime. "I wouldn't ever lay a hand on her." Tulkas stammered.

"You could've fooled me."

Tulkas huffed angrily. He had never really spoken with the Kingslayer before, but he could now see why everyone hated him; he wondered if Dimeria felt the same way and if she was just forced to put up with him. Gripping his sword tightly, Tulkas shook his head and made a move to leave.

"Why do you pretend to care for her so much?" He asked turning back to Jaime.

"Who said I'm pretending?"

* * *

_**Thanks everyone who's been reading, it means so much! Remember to let me know what you think and feel free to ask questions; if I get some I'll start addressing them at the bottom like I did here. Thanks a bunch!**_

_**Until next time…**_

* * *

_**Private Message: Will Jaime be losing his hand in this story?**_

**I've gotten a few people asking this and all I can say is that...you'll find out next chapter :)**

_**Guest Reviewer: What keeps Dimeria from suffering the same fate as Danny Flint?**_

**Well, Dimeria grew up at Castle Black, so most of the men have known her for a while and also, she doesn't completely avoid that threat; I do include an interaction where a man tries to "hit on her." And remember, Aemon and Jeor were like parental figures to her, very protective, so if anything did happen...there'd be trouble. Hope that makes sense!**

_**Moon of Kello: Why did Jaime shut up and not tell Dimeria her true identity?**_

**First off, thanks for the super sweet review :) And second, I think I wrote a bit about this, but I'll try to clear it up again. Jaime is still kinda confused about how he feels about Dimeria and he just doesn't feel like it's his place to tell her who she is, especially since he's the one who murdered her father. Dimeria's also got a ton on her plate right now, she's emotionally scarred and just traumatized, so imagine how much worse it would be for if she found out her identity.**


	22. Chapter 23

_**A/N: Wow. This chapter was so much fun to write; a little stressful, but a ton of fun! Thank you all for the continued support, it means so much to me.**_

_**Thank you to **__**ZabuzasGirl, amrawo, **__**and **__**Bella-swan11**__** for the reviews! You guys rock!**_

* * *

"_You're back." He said._

"_Finally."_

"_I told you-I told you it would be rough."_

"_I know, but I'm back now." She conceded._

"_Was it worth it? Did you find what you were looking for?" He asked._

"_I-I don't know."_

_She thought for a moment; what was she looking for?_

"_Why did you come back" The man asked suddenly._

"_Because…"_

_He shook his head. "It's different; everything's different."_

"_What do you mean?" She asked._

"_You've changed."_

The words echoed through the dark dreamscape. Deep vibrations pounded on her chest like a drum. They rippled through until her world became a shattered vase. Labored breaths forced their way out of Dimeria's aching body. The throbbing pain was all too familiar though; Dimeria expected to be beaten every time a guard came near her.

She shifted against her post, resembling an old creaking door rather than a human being. Her body still tingled from last night's invasion; Dimeria imagined dark, ragged trails running down her sides from the guards' acidic fingers. No weight was lifted off her shoulders with the rising of the sun, rather, more was added on as if she had to carry the sun with her throughout the day. Each thought she had of the coming day darkened her outlook more than it already was. The same things would happen today as they did the day before. Her life felt so monotonous.

The sun rose fully in the sky, along with the men in the camp. Seeing their movement only brought nausea to Dimeria's traumatized body. Faint traces of wandering hands prickled her skin; almost bringing forth her queasiness straight to her mouth.

One hour passed.

A guard made his way to the prisoners, confronting Dimeria and asking if she had a nice rest.

No answer.

The perturbed guard tried again. "I asked you a question, bitch."

A blank stare.

And therefore, beating number one of the day commenced.

…

The beating was a blur; Dimeria only feeling surprise if the man decided to bruise an untouched spot, which there were very few of.

Another hour passed.

The constant ache Dimeria felt from her punishments had resided to the back of her mind, only being thought of when she took a break in dwelling over her seemingly pointless life.

The guards once again readied Dimeria and Jaime to travel for another day. Dimeria kept her eyes cast downward, but the guards seemed uninterested in her for the moment, or perhaps they had gotten bored with her…

Not likely.

She kept her arms pinned tightly to her sides and her hands pressed firmly against her stomach to minimize any contact with the guards. She only allowed her muscles to relax when she saw Jaime walking beside her, only then did she feel her worrisome mind put at ease.

"Dimeria…"

Dimeria felt Tulkas' hand on her shoulder and quickly jerked away from him, walking even closer to Jaime. Tulkas could practically smell the fear coming off of her rapid breaths.

Was she really that afraid of him?

He could hardly find the words he wanted to speak to Dimeria when he looked into her wide distraught eyes. All she could picture was the event from last night and the part he played. With a gentle nudge of his shoulder, Jaime signaled Dimeria to walk a little ahead so she could be rid of Tulkas.

"You really think she's going to trust you after last night?" Jaime asked Tulkas.

"I-I didn't touch her...I didn't-"

Jaime released a laugh that was void of any real humor. "Doesn't matter. You were there."

Up the 2 prisoners went on their horse; Dimeria thankful to be back to back with Jaime.

Another hour.

Angry eyes focused on Dimeria as she kept her chin drawn to her chest. Jaime had never seen her so quiet; if not for her weight against his back, he would've forgotten she was there.

Jaime did not like it.

He hated seeing her like this; colder than the north, less reactive than a rock, her eyes were more lifeless than a dead fish from the Iron Islands. He tried twisting around to look at her, but their torsos were bound together by one rope, making it nearly impossible to shift. A break came in their caravan, all movement stopping for that moment in time. Dimeria hardly moved a muscle.

Jaime wasn't sure if he could stand Dimeria being in a vegetative state any longer; it was frustrating and of course, it wasn't healthy for her either.

"We should get off the horse...to stretch our legs." Jaime said over his shoulder.

She shook her head. "I don't need to stretch."

"Well, I need to take a piss." He said bluntly.

Dimeria only shook her head once more and didn't answer. Jaime inwardly growled; he was hoping to receive one of her more customary remarks such as: "Just hold it in!"

Where had her fire gone?

_Those damn guards extinguished it…_ Jaime thought.

But still, Jaime needed Dimeria to rebuild her flame and she needed it too, and if Jaime had to force her to do it; then force her he would.

"Hm, guess I'll just do it right here then." Jaime said, wiggling his hips for more effect.

A sharp intake of breath went through Dimeria's nose. A twinge of the usual annoyance she felt whenever Jaime spoke flickered in her chest, but she only sighed in reply. She tried awkwardly swinging her leg over to accommodate Jaime, which was not what he wanted.

The Dimeria he knew didn't go out of her way to help others; she helped herself.

"Ah, Ser Tulkas. Would you mind untying us? A man should have privacy when relieving himself, yes?" Jaime asked with a hint of smugness.

Tulkas said nothing, but began untying the rope around their bodies.

Dimeria scoffed. "You couldn't have just done that in the first place?" She snapped, but still managed to stay quiet somehow.

After carefully sliding off the horse, Jaime looked back up to Dimeria with an amused grin.

"Oh, well...the idea only just now dawned upon me. My apologies." He said.

Instead of receiving the angry complaint like Jaime hoped was coming, he was shoved by Tulkas.

"Are you taking a piss or not?" Tulkas asked.

The sparks of irritation were quickly snuffed out with fear in Dimeria, but they quickly found a place in Jaime. Tulkas was not helping Dimeria's case and Jaime did not need him making it worse. Dimeria needed her wounds to heal, but if the scabs kept getting ripped...they would only get deeper.

Dimeria received her second beating of the day while Jaime was gone, but he never found out why.

Another hour passed.

…

Another hour and another stop. A farmer had stopped and began speaking with General Locke. A wagon trailed behind the farmer carrying a few goats within it. With another hour and another stop; another chance for Jaime to get some sort of reaction out of Dimeria presented itself.

"Hm, that farmer has goats. Do you think you're related to any of them?" Jaime asked.

"Excuse me?" Dimeria muttered.

"Oh, don't tell me you've forgotten my speculation of you being part goat!"

Dimeria's silence told Jaime that perhaps she had forgotten, which was **not** a good thing. Dimeria couldn't afford to forget.

Jaime tried again: "I'll take your silence as your admittance to being part goat."

An unsatisfied sigh left Dimeria's lungs.

"Oh come on, Dimeria. Have a sense humor; laugh a little."

"What's there to laugh about?" She asked dismally.

Obviously humor was not the way to help Dimeria.

…

Dimeria had become used to everything; her eyes had adjusted to the darkness of the tunnel. A looming shadow, darker than the rest of her life, stood ahead of her. She knew what it was; she knew there wasn't much time left before it happened. What she didn't know was whether she cared about it or not.

She was leaning towards 'not.'

One, two, three...six hours passed and the dark mass was gradually coming closer. The sun was sinking on the horizon along with what little was left of Dimeria's spirit.

One more hour.

The men stopped with the setting of the sun and the rising of the moon. One man came to untie her and Jaime. One man pushed them their posts for the night, though they were trees this time.

One more hour.

Night closed in on them, no stars twinkling in the endless abyss of the heavens. No gods were watching over Dimeria that night.

Then they came: three men, lurking in the shadows and slithering towards her.

Thirty steps away.

One, two, three…

A tightness wound around her throat at her impending doom. Heat in her cheeks brought a nervous sweat to her brow; and a slight breeze dropped a chill over her body.

One, two, three…

Dimeria was practically biting her lip off at this point and if she were able to, she would have been twirling her normally white strand of hair around her finger, but the days of being captured had dirtied and stained it.

One, two, three…

Twenty steps away.

It would happen tonight; she would lose the thing women held most dear.

One, two, three…

She had never thought about it much, losing her maidenhead. She was never at risk of losing it before-One, two, three-but now she was facing the threat head on.

One, two, three…

Only ten more steps.

_It's inevitable…_ She thought. _What's the point?_

Why. Fight.

One step, two steps… Dimeria's face drooped and her eyes drifted away from her perpetrators to the ground.

Five steps, six steps… It would all be over soon; all of it. No more waiting, no more suspense.

Eight...Nine…

One more step. One more second. One more night…

...Maybe the last one…

They tugged the rope off of her, yanked her to her feet, and dragged her through the trees; never had Jaime seen Dimeria's eyes so lifeless.

No fight, no screams of defiance; nothing. Volcanic anger erupted in Jaime's stomach, his green eyes blazing fury.

"Get her ready for me, men; I want her nice and warm." General Locke strode into the small clearing where Jaime was held.

He was a rodent-like man with hollow cheeks and beady eyes. The only thing Jaime found scary about the man was how ugly he was.

"General Locke," Jaime drawled. "I haven't had the pleasure of enjoying your company very often."

"Spare me, Kingslayer." Locke snapped. His dark eyes scanned the trees where Dimeria had been taken; he planned on joining them soon.

"I wouldn't plan on sleeping too much tonight." He said turning to Jaime. "You know how loud women can be."

The thought of this gruesome man touching Dimeria in any way disgusted Jaime thoroughly. He was determined to not let that happen.

"You're really going to let those pigs have her first?" Jaime asked.

"She's a common street whore. What does it matter?" Locke said dismissively.

"Last I checked, common street whores don't possess their maidenhead."

"Still has her maidenhead? How'd you come by that information?" Locke asked curiously.

_Shit…_ Jaime thought. How did he know that?

"You're closer to her than you let on, aren't you?" Locke said amusedly.

Jaime covered up his tracks. "That tends to happen when you're kept prisoner with someone."

Locke snorted and turned his back on Jaime. Oh, how he hated the Kingslayer; the pompous fool thought he was better than everyone. That didn't sit well with General Locke.

"Look, all I'm saying is that you're missing out on an opportunity." Jaime interjected.

"And what opportunity is that?"

"Well, I personally prefer being the first...doing things myself." Jaime said suggestively.

His words seemed to spark some interest in Locke, his lips twitched in consideration. Dimeria was obviously beginning to put up a fight, for he could hear his men commanding each other to keep her still. A twinge in his pants decided it for him; perhaps the Kingslayer was good for something.

Once he saw Locke step further into the trees and call out to his men, Jaime released a breath he didn't realize he had been holding.

He'd saved her for at least one night; that might be enough time for him to figure out another plan.

One more night.

…

She almost just gave up, just let it all end. Dimeria supposed her initial reaction to fight back was just instinct.

Funny...she thought she had lost her instinct.

The guards weren't going to give up this time and Dimeria was just so, so tired. She could see the tunnel coming to a dead end and truthfully, she was thankful; everything was just so difficult. Dimeria didn't think she would ever be able to get out of the hole she found herself in. She was already so deep; why not just go a little further?

Why not just let go of one of the few things she had left? Keeping it would only serve as a reminder of how much she had already lost; how much her life had changed. Dimeria didn't want to remember; she wanted to forget everything: just let go.

She almost did...but then they stopped.

Why? She wondered. Why had they just stopped?

Dimeria's heart pounded; not from relief, but from confusion.

What was going on? Surely they wouldn't just end it there…

They were teasing her...torturing her; she knew it.

"Don't touch her. I want her sweet body to myself." A voice said.

Dimeria didn't know who it was and she didn't care; how much worse could it get? She may not have to deal with men raping her in the night anymore, but now she had one man.

Just one.

One man forcing himself upon her in whatever cruel, sadistic way he saw fit. One man using her for his pleasure whenever he wanted; violating her over and over and over again.

Well, perhaps there was one silver lining:

At least it would be in private.

…

Several disgruntled men walked back into the small clearing towards Jaime only moments later and were soon confronted by Tulkas.

"You tie her back up, Tulkas. I'm done with that bitch."

With a sigh, Tulkas went off to retrieve Dimeria while the other men slunk back into the encampment.

"Good thinking, Lannister." Locke called as he came closer to Jaime. "I believe I'll enjoy this one."

Jaime looked up into the dark, ogling eyes of Locke just above him.

I'm glad I could assist you." Jaime smirked, though he inwardly cringed at what he may have just thrown Dimeria into.

"I bet you'd like that debt repaid, wouldn't you?"

His words caught Jaime slightly off guard, but he hid it well. Yes, repaying debts was the motto of his house, but it usually was applied when a Lannister was **repaying** the debt; not accepting one.

Oh well, he may as well take advantage of it.

"Now that you mention it…" Jaime thought for a moment. "If you untied me from the tree, my back would thank you for it."

Locke lifted his brows in an unreadable expression. "Untie Ser Jaime from the tree." He called to a few stray men. "I suppose you'd like some food too?" Locke asked as Jaime pushed himself up.

"I'm famished actually." Jaime smiled at his luck. "My father will repay you greatly for this."

"You father?"

"Yes, Tywin Lannister-I'm sure you've heard of him." Jaime said smugly. "We have plenty of gold...and numbers in this war."

"Aye, you do." Locke agreed.

"Fighting for a losing cause is…admirable. Fighting for the winning side is much more rewarding, especially if I'm returned to my father alive."

Once again, Locke took some time to register Jaime's words. Instead of continuing on with the subject though, he changed the topic. Pointing at a tree stump, Locke said, "Will this work as a table?"

"Yes, this will do nic-"

Jaime's face was suddenly slammed against the stump.

"You think you're the smartest man there is, don't you?" Locke growled angrily as he held a blade to Jaime's face. "You think I'm an idiot? All you have to do is say who your daddy is and you're free to go." Locke said.

Jaime clenched his teeth, almost grinding them to sand as Locke held the blade to his eye. If only his hands weren't still bound, he may have been able to fight back.

"Your daddy isn't here right now...remember that." Locke said removing the blade from Jaime's eye. "Here, this should help you remember."

Jaime looked up just in time to see Dimeria tackle Locke to the ground.

…

Seven hells she didn't know why she did it; it was like some switch was flipped and her body just sprang to life. Tulkas was guiding her shocked body back to the trees when she saw General Locke untie Jaime from the tree.

That was when the first siren went off.

"Jaime…" Dimeria breathed out.

Something was wrong; they wouldn't just stop raping her and then release Jaime. She kept a stern gaze on Jaime as Tulkas continued gently guiding Dimeria forward. She had noticed his cautious behavior around her, but never paid mind to it.

She watched with concern as Jaime was led to a small stump with Locke; she knew this wasn't going to end well. A tingling in her hands caused Dimeria to pull away from Tulkas and much to her surprise, he allowed her. She looked back to his face only to see that he, too, had his eyes fixed on Jaime. She turned back just in time to see Locke slam Jaime's head on the stump.

That was when she started running.

It was slow-going at first; her muscles screamed at the sudden exertion she was putting them through. Dimeria pushed past it though; she had a goal, a destination-she hadn't felt this focused in a long time.

Call it good timing or the luck of the Seven, but Dimeria leapt just in time to stop Jaime from getting his hand sliced off.

She and Locke came crashing to the ground, both of them out of breath and shocked. Locke was immediately up and going, but Dimeria's body was too out of shape to be able to recover that quickly.

"Isn't that nice, Lannister saves you...and you save him." Locke looked back to Jaime's stunned face. "Guess you're even now."

Locke then hauled Dimeria from the ground and pushed her firmly against a tree.

"How about I end the struggle for you both right now?"

With a vice-like grip, Locke had Dimeria's throat choking for air. Painful gasps and squeals barely made their out of her mouth as the air was squeezed out of her. Squirming within his grasp, Dimeria struggled for air she wasn't even sure she wanted.

Hadn't this been what she asked for?

Her vision began blurring at the edges while her face turned red. Her lungs ached and her head began throbbing painfully. Dimeria could hardly hear the shouts of desperation coming from Jaime, who was being held and forced to watch the life get choked out of Dimeria.

She felt her head becoming light, but her eyelids became heavier. Her focus seemed to be drifting to the back of her head, seeping slowly out of her pores. She was barely conscious enough to hear Tulkas save her life.

"She's worth more to us alive, Ser."

Dimeria's eyes began closing.

"And how is that?" Locke asked. His words drifted from a faraway place into Dimeria's ears.

"King Robb has a certain...infatuation with her." Tulkas said timidly.

"Infatuation...with her? How does he know her?" Locke asked.

Tulkas inwardly cursed that he had to take time to explain this; Dimeria didn't have time.

"She was held in his encampment in the Riverlands." He explained, trying not to sound frantic. "She was kidnapped by the Kingslayer."

Tulkas ignored the quick look Jaime sent him and went on. "I'm sure King Robb would greatly reward anyone who returned her to him alive and...untouched."

General Locke considered many things that night, and luckily for Dimeria, he loved his gold.

He released her body to the ground.

A mighty gasp for air sounded from Dimeria, followed by a series of hacking coughs. Jaime had never been more thankful for such a horrible sound.

"Why have you not spoken of this before, Ser Tulkas?" Locke asked bitterly.

Tulkas cursed himself; he knew he wouldn't get out of this unscathed. "It never came to mind…" He muttered.

Locke stared at him dangerously before turning to other soldiers who had gathered around to watch the show. He seemed to be able to read their disappointed minds.

"Don't look so depressed, men…" They looked back at him curiously, wondering what their leader was getting at.

"Don't kill her. Don't rape her. Think you can handle that?" Locke asked with an evil grin.

The men nodded wickedly and turned their grotesque faces towards Dimeria's slumped body.

"Oh, and make sure he watches." Locke said nodding at Jaime.

Two men held Jaime back while others surrounded Dimeria and began beating her harder than they ever had before. They kicked her and punched her; they drew their swords and smacked her with the flats of their blades. Her face was bloody and swollen and her skin was covered in bruises and welts. By the time they were done, Dimeria could hardly breathe without feeling pain.

"Don't even bother tying her up. She won't be going anywhere." They all laughed cruelly.

Tears poured out of Dimeria's eyes uncontrollably as the men walked away along with the 2 men holding Jaime back, leaving Tulkas to tie him back up; Tulkas always seemed to be cleaning up other peoples' messes. He moved to take Jamie back to the tree.

"No. Let me go to her." Jaime said urgently. "Please."

Something in Jaime's voice caused Tulkas to pause. Never had he heard Jaime sound so…

Vulnerable.

"Fine." Tulkas nodded gruffly. Thinking himself stupid for doing so, he secretly cut Jaime's binds and allowed him to go to Dimeria, but stayed close by.

Jaime hardly paid any attention to him as he quickly moved over to Dimeria and knelt down next to her body, which was currently curled into a fetal position. As gently as he could, Jaime lifted her off the ground and closer to his body, resting her head on his broad chest. The movement brought faint whimpers and labored breaths from Dimeria's mouth. She looked so weak and frail, like a small child lost in the woods. Her eyes were shut tightly as if she were trying with all her might (what little she had left) to block out the world.

Jaime softly shushed her. "Shh, it okay. I'm right here, little warrior."

"I'm hardly a warrior anymore, Lannister." She whispered, remembering the nickname he had given her. It used to annoy the hell out of her, but she now realized she didn't mind as much.

Jaime chuckled faintly and stroked her dark hair. "You'll always be my little warrior." He said as he rested his cheek on her head. "You just need time to remember it."

He paused, letting the silence of the night fill the air as he cradled her trembling body.

"Why did you save me?" He asked her suddenly.

"It was an impulse." She managed to say.

"Well, your impulses have saved me-what, twice now? Three times if we decide to include you releasing me."

Dimeria shifted with difficulty as she curled closer into Jaime's arms. "Yes, well my impulses have also caused me to get beat almost to death and kill a man."

"You place killing a man worse than you almost dying?" He asked as he held her tighter.

"Yes." Dimeria answered.

"Why?"

"Look at everything that's happened because I killed him. We're captured...probably going to die. I would've rather died back there than here. At least I was fighting for something back then. Nothing matters now."

"You could still be fighting for something now." Jaime said, relishing the warmth of her body against his.

"Like what?" She asked.

"Your life."

* * *

_**Hope you all enjoyed that chapter; it's probably one of my favorites so far.**_

_**Remember to leave reviews and let me know what you think, it helps me write!**_

_**Until next time...**_


	23. Chapter 24

_**A/N: I was going to hold off on this chapter, but it just seemed to flow out as I started writing it, so...here ya go!**_

_**Thank you so much to **__**amwaro, iiStargazerii, Bella-swan11, **__**and **__**Moon of Kello**__** for leaving reviews….you guys make my day!**_

* * *

Once Dimeria's breathing became deeper and steadier, Jaime knew she had finally fallen asleep. He closed his own eyes and rested his cheek on top of her head; he was fully intent on falling asleep just like that.

Too bad it didn't happen.

"I-I have to replace your restraints." Tulkas said hesitantly, obviously reluctant to disturb Jaime and Dimeria.

Jaime sighed. "I'm not planning on going anywhere." He said.

"I can't trust that."

"If I were escaping, it would be with her. Dimeria can hardly move." Jaime shook his head. "I'm not going anywhere without her."

Tulkas clenched his hands and looked around, eyes laden with paranoia.

"Think about if Locke saw this. He already knows you tried to save her earlier; if he sees you two like this, he'll do anything to either of you just to torture you guys." Tulkas rushed. "And not to mention he would have my head if he found out I released you."

Jaime hated that Tulkas made sense. Jaime didn't realize it would be that difficult to leave Dimeria; he wouldn't have given it a second thought a few months ago. He carefully shifted Dimeria back to the ground, pausing every time he saw her face twitch in pain; thankfully she never woke up. Jaime reluctantly allowed Tulkas to restrain him once more, though Tulkas was kind enough to tie him to the tree that Dimeria was curled up next to, at least Jaime would be close to her.

Jaime couldn't take his eyes away from Dimeria. He kept replaying the same scenes in his mind: every time she had saved his life. Jaime owed Dimeria a debt that he would never be able to repay; his life.

And there in that moment, Jaime promised himself that he would never give up on trying to repay that debt.

He didn't really understand it, why Dimeria kept saving him. Most people in the Seven Kingdoms would have jumped for joy at the news that Jaime Lannister had been killed. Was Dimeria apart of that group?

What was it that Dimeria saw in Jaime that made him worth saving?

…

Dimeria was hardly recognizable the next morning. Her left eye was swollen shut with dark shades of purple covering her skin. Blood was crusted around her nose and lips, while the tips of her hair were sticky with the red substance.

When ordered to get up, Dimeria could barely groan in response. Her limbs felt heavy with fatigue and pain; she could hardly feel her body parts, let alone move them.

"Aaaw, can't move today?" General Locke taunted her. "Guess you should have thought of that before you attacked me." He said delivering a kick to Dimeria's gut.

That's the thing though, she hadn't been thinking. She wasn't lying to Jaime when she had told him that everything was an impulse that night. For some reason Dimeria hadn't quite uncovered yet, she couldn't bear to lose Jaime. She tried to imagine what would have happened to her if Jaime had died in the woods many weeks ago; she decided her life would have been very, very lonely.

"You're going to have to get up soon, Dimeria." Tulkas said standing over her. "I would hate to see them punish you some more." He confessed honestly.

She nodded as best as she could and tried to push herself up. Her muscles screeched in protest as the pain shot through her bones, making her collapse back down to the ground. Jaime watched her pitiful attempt to stand and shook his head. It only angered him more when he saw that Tulkas made no move to help her up, but started untying Jaime. One he was finished being untied, Jaime said:

"She can't even stand up on her own. You're going to have to help her."

"No, I'm fine. I can do it." Dimeria said with determination as she gritted her teeth.

"C'mon, just take my hand." Tulkas offered as he stretched out his arm. It killed him to look at Dimeria these days; she looked pathetic almost. Of course, Tulkas would never be the one to say that to her.

Dimeria's bottom lip trembled; she was terrified. Her paranoia whisked through the trees; all around, skirting corners, diving under bushes; Dimeria's eyes followed it with every shadow. These men didn't want to help her, they wanted to hurt her like they had before.

Dimeria didn't want to get hurt anymore.

Fear as her motivation, Dimeria pushed with all her might to stand up. It worked, but she couldn't stop herself from leaning against the tree just to her left. She struggled to see the surprised faces staring back at her since one eye was swollen shut and the other was seeing dark spots due to the blood rushing from her head.

"Well alright then." Tulkas muttered as he turned to lead them to their horse.

Jaime followed close behind, but not before sparing one more glance at Dimeria. She seemed ready to fall back asleep just after standing up.

Taking in as much air as her throbbing lungs allowed, Dimera took one step forward and nearly fell over had Jaime not been there to catch her. He hardly had time to balance himself before he caught Dimeria, and was struggling to keep her up since his restraints only allowed a little space in between his hands.

"Ser Tulkas…" Jaime grunted.

Looking back, Tulkas rushed over to take Dimeria's weight from Jaime. Although he hadn't taken beatings like Dimeria had and definitely didn't look as bad as her, Jaime was horribly weak. He was malnourished and his well-toned muscles had fallen prey to imprisonment and neglect. He was far from the Kingslayer warrior Jaime was used to being, but at least he was better than Dimeria.

Jaime sighed and dropped his head at the sight before him: Tulkas had swung Dimeria's arm over his own shoulders and had his arm around her back so that he bore most of the weight. It disgusted Jaime to see her like this, so helpless. That wasn't who she was; a damsel in distress. She was supposed to be the exact opposite; a fiercely brave warrior that struck fear into her enemies' hearts. Right now she was only striking pity or amusement...sometimes both.

Tulkas led Dimeria to a horse and practically lifted her into the saddle rather than letting Dimeria climb up herself. Jaime made his way through so that he could climb up with her, but Locke interrupted.

"No, you two will be on separate horses from now on." He called from on top of his horse.

Dimeria quickly put her head down, for she wanted to hide the one eye that was capable of widening in panic. She didn't know why she suddenly felt so afraid to be alone, but she quickly realized that was just it; she didn't want to be alone, not with these men. Dimeria could handle it when she was with Jaime, but now they had taken that one comfort away.

How did they know?

_You risked your own life to save his last night. Of course they know, you idiot!_ She scolded herself.

By the gods, she was a fool.

Dimeria looked over to Jaime with a forlorn expression and he gave her a firm, yet reassuring nod as he climbed back onto his own horse just behind her. He silently pleaded that nothing bad would happen, but he refused to get his hopes up; General Locke didn't separate them just so they could be more comfortable and Jaime knew it.

Dimeria kept her head down, not only because her body was too weak to allow her to keep it held up, but to avoid the malicious stares of those around her. They all reminded her of night owls perched up on their branches looking for field mice down below. The only difference was that they already found their mouse.

"Are you sore?" They teased her.

"Not as sore as you would be if I had been with ya."

"You would've screamed loud enough for those across the Narrow Sea to hear you."

"Has anyone ever made you scream like that before?"

"I bet the King of the North did."

"Did he make you howl in the night like his little bitch?"

The words pounded in Dimeria's head like a hammer as she kept her gaze away from the men. Oh, how she wished she could just shut them all up; she hadn't felt this much anger in a long time, but it was quickly tempered with fear of what they might do to her as punishment if she revolted. Dimeria was stuck; she couldn't do anything to help herself.

The disgusting men continued.

"You're gonna get it much worse once we get back to Harrenhal."

"You won't be able to get away from us there."

"We'll pound you so hard you won't be able to walk for weeks."

"And since you won't be able to walk, we'll just do it over and over again."

"Would you like that, you little bitch?"

"Oh, don't be upset. It won't be that bad."

"Yes, we're more than experienced when it comes to fucking whores."

Dimeria's hands ached from gripping the reign so tightly, making her horse throw it's head back in agitation, apparently sensing Dimeria's uneasiness.

"I'm sure Robb Stark would love to hear you say those things to her." Jaime called from behind.

"What'd you say Kingslayer?" One of the men asked.

"Apparently you're too stupid to understand. You see, she is not to be touched, because Robb Stark does not want her touched." Jaime explained hastily. "So I suggest you keep your hands off her."

"Those are brave words coming from a prisoner…" The men echoed around murmurs of agreement.

Dimeria's breath caught in her throat as the men dragged Jaime from his horse and threw him to the ground. He quickly scrambled back up, only to double over in pain from a hard punch to his gut. Taking advantage of the opportunity, the men hit him across the face, splattering him down to the thick mud.

"Stop! No-just...stop!" Dimeria shouted out. Now she knew how Jaime felt when he watched her get beatings constantly.

"Well, well, well Lannister." General Locke drawled, strolling through the small crowd to get to Jaime. "You just don't seem to learn your lesson." He said kicking Jaime in the ribs.

Locke then grabbed Jaime's collar and hauled him from the ground to hold him face to face. Blood was dripping from Jaime's mouth and sliding down the overgrown facial hair on his chin.

"You keep your mouth shut, or I will find some other stump in the woods to chop your hand off." Locke threatened.

He dropped him back to the mud and stomped away, laughing cruelly with his men. Jaime looked back up to Dimeria and hated that there wasn't a look of anger or defiance on her face, but rather a look of utter fear and defeat.

…

A cloudy night drifted in when everyone settled down for the day. Jaime and Dimeria were settled around a small fire the guards had been reluctant to light and were actually free from being tied to posts or trees that evening, though their ankles were chained so they wouldn't run away.

A small loaf of bread had been given to Dimeria, but they deprived Jaime of the food as punishment for his outburst during the afternoon. The bread sat on the ground by the fire, neglected by Dimeria.

"Is there something wrong with that bread?" Jaime asked.

"What?" Dimeria looked up with confusion.

"Is it moldy...rotten?" Jaime continued his speculations.

"No…" Dimeria muttered, looking at her small loaf of bread.

"Then what are you doing?" Jaime snapped.

Dimeria furrowed her brows at him. What on earth was he talking about? She thought about his last question, trying to figure out if Jaime meant what was she doing with her bread, or if he was talking on a deeper level.

_I __**feel**__ like I'm slowly dying…_ She thought to herself.

"Don't you dare tell me that you're dying." Jaime warned as if he could read her mind.

"Then what is it you want me to say?" Dimeria asked him.

"I want you to say that you're angry. That you hate these men, that you want revenge! I want you to be anything, but this."

Dimeria had a startled look on her face as Jaime spoke; she was caught completely off guard.

"I **do** hate these men. I want them to pay for what they've done, but what can I do?" She asked, shaking her head. "There's no point in fighting back; it's useless."

Jaime scoffed angrily. "Ya know, the real Dimeria would have never given up that easily."

"The real Dimeria?" She asked incredulously. She began nervously biting her lip, but quickly stopped since she had many cuts on her swollen mouth.

"Yes, the real you." He said bitterly. "Do you remember what you told me when you were tending to me at Robb Stark's encampment? You told me you hated women who were...sensitive and wimpy. You said that if women could defend themselves, they wouldn't get hurt." He pursed his lips in an effort to stifle his mounting frustration.

"I know you can defend yourself, but you're not! You've turned into the type of woman you claim to hate." Jaime stopped there, taking time to read Dimeria's shocked expression.

A lump formed in Dimeria's throat as she realized Jaime was right. The memory of that long ago conversation was barely a whisper in her mind, but she didn't doubt she had said those words. Tears made her blue eyes sparkle as she gave a little sniffle.

"Maybe I just didn't understand then." Dimeria pouted.

Jaime closed his eyes, shaking his head. He hadn't wanted that to happen; he didn't want her to react that way. She was supposed to snap back to reality, not retreat further away.

"Don't cry, Dimeria. Just...eat your bread, you need to keep your strength." Jaime said with a softer voice.

"You need to eat too." She told him.

"No I don't."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm stronger than you." Jaime smirked. "And plus, the guards aren't going to be giving me any food." He conceded, giving the real reason why he wasn't going to eat.

"Since when are you stronger than me?" Dimeria challenged.

"Since always! That's why I'm always saving you."

Jaime had meant the words to be playful, but they struck a painful chord in Dimeria's heart and drove her to another thought: Jaime had saved her the night before. Tulkas had stopped her from being killed, but Jaime had saved her from being raped.

"Lannister, you uh-" Dimeria began, using her customary title for him. "You saved me from being raped last night."

Jaime's face immediately dropped in seriousness.

"How?" Dimeria asked.

"It doesn't matter." He said shifting uncomfortably.

"It matters to me." She retorted softly.

Jaime looked deeply into her eyes before taking a deep breath and answering. "I...told Locke that he was missing out on an opportunity by letting his men have you because-you...still have your maidenhead." He finished quickly.

Dimeria prayed that her bruised and swollen cheeks covered the blush coming to her face. Jaime flexed his hands anxiously. Seven hells, he hated talking about this just as much as Dimeria did!

"How did you know?" Dimeria whispered.

"Because I know you." Jaime answered. "I made the mistake long ago in thinking that you'd spread your legs for Robb Stark; I know you would never do that unless...you really wanted it."

Dimeria stared into Jaime's green orbs; there was so much more to this man than he ever let on and she began wondering why he let people think of him they way they did.

"Thank you." She said quietly.

Jaime nodded. "Get some rest."

Not that she particularly needed Jaime's permission to sleep, but Dimeria went ahead and shifted her body for slumber. It seemed like as soon as she closed her eyes, she drifted into a deep sleep; the same could not be said for Jaime.

No matter how long he kept his eyes closed, Jaime's mind would not shut off. His body could not get comfortable as he shifted multiple times in his restraints. Surprising himself, Jaime suddenly wished he was holding Dimeria in his arms again. He looked over to her body, rhythmically rising and falling with her breathing.

He couldn't really explain it, but holding Dimeria the night before just felt…

right.

It certainly felt much more comfortable.

Jaime couldn't risk it though, Locke would use anything he could to hurt Dimeria and Jaime didn't want to provide him with anymore leverage.

Although it took a long time, Jaime finally fell asleep to thoughts of Dimeria. He thought of what their futures would bring them, and wondered if they would be together.

…

A heavy rain fell the next day, slowly washing away the dirt and blood from Dimeria's body. She shivered from the falling droplets, not from the cold; she never got cold, but from the memory of water.

Gods she hated water; she almost died the last time she was in it when she-

When she what?

Her dragon eggs.

Dimeria sighed. When was the last time she had even seen them? She assumed Tulkas still had them in his possession, but she didn't care; it's not like she had much use for them anyway. She hung her head low and tried to let her mind wander, but it really was no use. Everything just made her more depressed.

Going carefully, Jaime walked his horse forward next to Dimeria's.

"I overheard some of the men; we should be reaching Harrenhal within the next week or so." Jaime told her.

"Fantastic." Dimeria muttered miserably.

"It'll be better than being on the road the whole time." Jaime scolded her.

Gods, he hated feeling like he had to treat Dimeria like a child, but he just didn't know what else to do; Dimeria didn't seem to be showing signs of returning back to normal anytime soon.

"I don't even know what Harrenhal is!" She said miserably.

"Trust me, you'll know it when we're there."

Dimeria said nothing in return, so Jaime fell back behind her once more. This time it was Tulkas' turn to ride up beside Jaime. He said nothing for a few moments, watching Jaime as he kept his emerald gaze intent on Dimeria's back. It still perplexed Tulkas to see Jaime act like a normal human being. In his mind, he wasn't; he was the Kingslayer.

"You really care for her…" Tulkas said.

"Are you just now getting that?" Jaime said derisively.

Tulkas followed Jaime's gaze to Dimeria. Even though she was hardly the girl she was when he first met her, he had a feeling she hadn't changed in this respect; she may have even increased in her hate for showing emotions...it wasn't impossible.

"I know Dimeria. She may not return the sentiment." Tulkas informed Jaime.

"I don't believe I've asked her to." Jaime snapped.

"I'm just saying...you may not get what you want-"

"And what is it exactly you think I want, Ser Tulkas?" Jaime asked.

Tulkas fell back then; he should've known better than to confront the Kingslayer about feelings.

…

About a week and a half later, the men began buzzing with the restlessness of reaching their destination. The time had passed uneventfully with Dimeria showing no signs of change; she was just a shell of her former life, only going through the motions of what the day brought her.

Jaime wanted to stop trying, wanted to give up on trying to revive her; it all just felt so worthless.

By late afternoon, they had reached their journey's end; they would soon come upon the melted structure of Harrenhal.

…

She reminded him so much of Dimeria. They looked nothing alike, quite the opposite actually, but they behaved the same.

Ygritte, with her fiery red hair that matched her personality; she was a deadly wildling, relentless in her ferocity. Jon wondered who would win in a fight: Dimeria or Ygritte?

They both had short tempers, harsh words, and very good fighting skills; perhaps they wouldn't fight though, maybe they would be friends…

Seven hells they would make quite the pair.

It had been a long time since Jon had heard from Dimeria. He was worried at first, but he then gained problems of his own. Going beyond the Wall had been the adventure he was waiting for, but it changed drastically.

Wildling territory wasn't the place any Crow desired to be in.

Spending time with Ygritte had Jon thinking back to his past. He couldn't help but see all the similarities between Ygritte and Dimeria; and it made him miss Dimeria that much more.

Where was she now?

Hopefully she was at King's Landing by now, barring any hindrances on the road there; that was highly unlikely though, there was a war going on. Even if Dimeria had made it South, he wouldn't know it until he got back to Castle Black, which probably wasn't going to happen in the near future. And even if he did make it back to the Wall, Dimeria might not even send a raven to him. If she felt her connection to Jon was a distraction, Jon knew she would immediately sever that tie; it was another thing she had in common with Ygritte.

There was one thing that was different though, something that Ygritte was and Dimeria wasn't…

Dimeria was not a killer.

* * *

_**I really hope you enjoyed this chapter! It was so easy to write, I really didn't even think I had written that much at first.**_

_**Remember to let me know what you think. I love your reviews!**_

_**Until next time...**_


	24. Chapter 25

_**A/N: Hello everyone! So sorry for the longer wait; I've been hard pressed for time. And just so you all know, I probably won't be having as much time to make fast updates for the next few weeks, so I hope you all will bear with me.**_

_**Thank you to **__**AthenaB, Bella-swan11, iiStargazerii, **__**and**__** amrawo**__** for reviewing!**_

_**And to **__**Wanderer**__**, my guest reviewer; I hope you read long enough to see this note since you reviewed on my very first chapter. I did mention the whole Danny Flint situation in a previous chapter; I believe at the bottom of chapter 21 and with the whole bastard last name situation...I really wasn't far in the series when I started this, so I wasn't aware of the whole regional last names. Woops, hope you forgive me for that...I've made a point of not mentioning any last names for Dimeria.**_

* * *

That afternoon, Dimeria found herself walking under the looming shadows from the ominous overcasts of Harrenhal. The keep seemed an entirely different world within it's confines. Saying it had a gloomy disposition was quite the understatement given how Dimeria really felt when she entered through the gates. A tingling chill traveled down her spine, scaring her and slightly thrilling her all at the same time.

As soon as she crossed the old wooden bridge though, reality slammed back into her face almost as hard as Locke slamming her to the ground. The mud made a wet, gurgling sound as it stuck to every surface on Dimeria's body. She slowly pushed herself back up and found Jaime in the same position.

"Lord Bolton, I give you the Kingslayer...and his whore." Locke said victoriously.

Dimeria found it difficult to meet the gaze of Bolton. Did he remember who she was? Surely he did, Dimeria didn't exactly make a quiet entrance into Robb's encampment.

"She is not a whore, her name is Lady Dimeria." Bolton said surprisingly. "Release her, Locke." He commanded. "Both of them."

"Thank you...Lord Bolton." Dimeria said hesitantly. Locke definitely remembered her, just not in quite the way she had expected. She kept her gaze low and watched Jaime groan as he was pulled out of the mud and out of his restraints; he had become increasingly weak over the past few days.

"You are under my protection now, my Lady."

The black emptiness in Bolton's eyes struck a warning bell within Dimeria, telling her not to trust him.

"Seek accommodations for our guests; see to it that they are...comfortable." Bolton said that last word slowly, as if he wasn't entirely sure it's what he wanted to say.

"Lord Bolton." Jaime called to the man's retreating back. "Have you heard news from King's Landing?"

A dark light glimmered within Bolton's eyes as he walked back to Jaime.

"You haven't heard?" Bolton asked. "Stannis Baratheon laid siege to King's Landing. Sailed into Blackwater Bay. Stormed the gates with thousands of men." Bolton recited the tale matter-of-factly, as if he had memorized it from a history lesson.

Jaime struggled to remain passive; Dimeria could see that easily, but the thought of King's Landing being sacked had obviously shaken him up.

"And your sister…" Bolton pressed on.

Dimeria's eyes nervously flicked to and from Jaime and Bolton. She watched Jaime resist swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat. He clearly cared for his twin sister; and although Dimeria didn't understand or agree with the relationship they had, she pitied Jaime, for she knew how painful it was to care for someone that deeply.

"How can I put this…" Bolton thought over his words.

The anguish on Jaime's face was more than evident, which apparently Bolton enjoyed very much.

"Your sister is alive and well. Your father's forces prevailed."

The shudder that coursed through Jaime's body was instantaneous. A large breath escaped Jaime's lungs like a bullet, rifling against Bolton's face, though he seemed not to notice.

"Take them to their rooms." Bolton said once he had seen enough of Jaime's stupefied expression.

Dimeria flinched as she felt the rough hands wrap around her elbow and led her deeper into Harrenhal. Midday sunlight and flaming torches could not drive away the heavy shadow and dreariness that suffocated the air around them. Each corner they turned seemed to get darker and gloomier until Dimeria felt as if the walls were closing in around her, driving any source of light out from the world. The only thing guiding Dimeria was the hand on her elbow, which she almost yanked out of when they reached her chambers without her realizing it.

"Are you going in or not, bitch?" One of the guards asked.

Dimeria winced and took one small step forward in trepidation, clenching her hands together fearfully.

Jaime had just about had enough.

The guards left them in a hurry, no doubt wanting to be rid of the prisoners as quickly as possible.

"Gods damn it, Dimeria!" Jaime exclaimed as soon as the guards left. "What is wrong with you?"

She turned to Jaime with a doe-eyed expression, only infuriating him even more.

"Why are you letting them do this to you?" Jaime asked.

"They're going to-to kill me, I…" Dimeria stuttered fearfully.

"They can't hurt you, Dimeria. You have to snap out of this!"

She shook her head and turned away from him, but Jaime would have none of it; he couldn't stand Dimeria acting like this any longer. He grabbed her arm and yanked her back to him.

"Stop, Jaime." She said pathetically.

"You stop!" He retorted. "You think you life is just so miserable don't you?"

"Just leave me alone...stop."

"You want it all to end; you just want to give up!" Jaime said as he continued gripping her arm tightly, almost to the point of shaking her. He could feel her trying to pull away; it was an embarrassing attempt really, for she looked like a small child.

"Then do it!" Jaime shoved her. "End it right now!"

Dimeria looked back to him with bewilderment.

"And you know what, I'll help! I'm sure we can find a sword her somewhere!" Jaime's rage was boiling over. "You think I'm such a monster? Alright, maybe I am...I'll help you end your life right now!"

He shoved her again, driving her closer to the wall.

No resistance came from Dimeria. Jaime pushed once more.

"You're not even the person I met when I was Robb Stark's prisoner!" He pushed her again. She tried backing away, but Jaime followed her. "You're a pathetic piece of the woman I met!"

He continued yelling at her. "The real Dimeria wouldn't let people push her around!" Jaime said, proving his point by shoving her again. "Why are you even trying?!"

Dimeria didn't know what to do, she had never expected this from Jaime.

Or maybe she had? Jaime always was an annoying bastard…

The thoughts were driven away as Jaime propelled her towards the wall once more.

"So who are you now? Definitely not a little warrior anymore!" Jaime shouted.

Another push.

"C'mon, fight back!" He screamed.

Dimeria's muscles tensed; it was a strange feeling, she hadn't readied her muscles for a real fight in such a long time…

Another shove...Seven hells how many times was he going to do that?!

"It's no wonder your parents abandoned you, little warrior," Jaime snorted, "I wouldn't want to deal with you like this either." He said coldly.

Dimeria's dam broke with a violent crash.

She swatted his hands away dangerously and ceased her pathetic cowering. The once familiar feeling of her blazing eyes returned to her and she felt the tempting tingle in her fingers for the want of a sword.

She stood up to Jaime, not at all fazed that he was over a head taller than her. Dimeria was back…

And she was angry.

"You want to know who I am, Lannister?!" She asked venomously. She pushed hard against his chest.

"My name is Dimeria."

She shoved him.

"I'm a bastard from the North."

Another shove.

"And I **hate** it when you call me…" She had him up against the opposite side of the hall. "LITTLE WARRIOR."

Jaime's back painfully hit the wall with a thud. Dimeria looked breathtakingly fierce, just like he was used to; she was back. Thank the gods, she was **back!**

"Well, little warrior, good to have you ba-"

His words were cut off with a resounding slap across the face. Jaime watched dumb stricken as Dimeria stomped into her chambers and loudly slammed the door.

…

She sat with her legs criss-crossed at the edge of the tub of water, staring at the lightly steaming water into the eyes of her reflection. They were bloodshot, her eyes, from the tremendous amount of crying she had done after slamming the door in Jaime's face.

Dimeria was thoroughly embarrassed. All those days of acting like a pathetic little girl; how could she have let that happen? She cried out all the pain and suffering she had felt as a prisoner until her eyes and nose were red and raw. All she was left with was herself; plain and simple, just Dimeria.

And so she sat at the water, trying to come to grips with how she allowed herself to become insane. When had it all started going downhill?

Of course, Dimeria did know the answer; she just didn't want to admit it. Losing your mind over killing a man? The idea was ridiculous…

Wasn't it?

_Being afraid of the water is ridiculous too…_ She thought to herself.

Either way, Dimeria hated herself for it; she shouldn't have let herself become emotionally compromised like that. She was determined to never let any of that happen again. Dimeria just wanted everything to go back to normal.

But nothing would ever go back to normal, though.

She sighed and shifted the light silk robe on her body; everything really had changed...forever.

"Are you really still afraid of the water?"

Dimeria nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of Jaime's voice.

"Seven hells, Lannister! You could've warned me!" Dimeria snapped at him.

"That was my warning." Jaime said smugly.

Dimeria rolled her eyes and pulled the robe tighter around her shoulders. Now that she was back to being herself, she found Jamie even more annoying than before. Soft rustles of movement sounded from behind Dimeria, but she chose to ignore Jaime. The sighting of Jaime's bare backside startled Dimeria even more; and she immediately turned away from the tub.

"There's another tub, Lannister!" She exclaimed.

"Yes, but it's all the way over there and this one was unoccupied."

She huffed with vexation and pulled her knees to her chest while keeping herself angled away from Jaime.

"Just get in. It's a tub, not the ocean, there's nothing to be afraid of." He waited for an answer, but none came forth. "I'll even close my eyes…" Jaime teased.

Dimeria glared, but couldn't deny that she was desperate to scrub all the caked on dirt off her body. Sighing dramatically, she stood and waited for Jaime to avert his gaze so she could drop the robe from her body. She carefully waded through the water until she was on the other side of the tub.

"Was that so awful?" Jaime chided.

"Shut up." Dimeria growled.

Jaime smirked, he was enjoying having Dimeria's customary attitude returned. Amusement sparkled in his green eyes at the sight of her; knees drawn to her bare chest as she kept herself tucked into the corner.

"You know, I honestly didn't think you were still afraid of water." Jaime spoke.

"Well I haven't exactly had time to overcome my fears, have I?" Dimeria retorted.

"Fears? There's more than one?" Jaime asked with intrigue.

Dimeria glared maliciously at Jaime. "Is that a problem, Lannister?"

"I didn't say that." Jaime said complacently.

"What? Does it make me weak or something?" Dimeria questioned. "I'll tell you who the weak one is; **you.**"

"Oh am I?" He asked with amusement.

"Yes, those shoves from earlier today? You're losing your touch, Lannister."

"Well, I had to be careful! You were in a precarious position for quite a while there…" Jaime suddenly grew serious at the mention of their fight earlier. "I'm uh, sorry...about the things I said earlier." Jaime said.

Dimeria snorted. "No you're not."

"You're right, I'm not." He said without missing a beat.

Dimeria groaned and shook her head, making small ripples in the water.

She chuckled darkly to herself. "You know, I **really** hate you sometimes."

"No you don't." Jaime laughed.

"How would you know!?"

Jaime stood in the water, bearing his naked chest and stretching his back out, causing Dimeria to roll her eyes.

"Well…" He said pulling his arm across his chest. "You **never** call me Kingslayer." He sat back down in the water. "And you don't have the look."

"The look?" Dimeria asked.

"Yes, the look. I've been getting it for 17 years. The look that says, 'Kingslayer', 'Oathbreaker', or 'man without honor'."

Yes, Jaime had known these looks for longer than he truly desired, but he supposed that was the price he paid after what he did. Although, if people knew the real story, they wouldn't ever call him those names.

That was the thing about Dimeria though, she didn't know the real story, yet she still held no judgment in her eyes. Surely people had spoken to her about the horrible things he had done, including his relationship with Cersei and what he had done to Bran Stark. Still, Dimeria had remained untainted.

What if she didn't stay that way though?

Dimeria had almost lost her own identity, it would be easier for something as simple as an opinion to be lost. Jaime didn't know if he could risk that. He wouldn't even admit it aloud, but Dimeria's opinion mattered so much to Jaime now that he had gotten to know her better.

"Do you know what wildfire is, Dimeria?" Jaime asked seriously

Dimeria shrugged. "Fire that's wild?" She said nonchalantly as she found a small rag to scrub herself with. She ran the towel furiously up and down her arms, reveling in the cleanliness of her skin. She felt like a bird molting, or a snake shedding.

Jaime chuckled at her answer. "I guess that's one way to put it." He looked over to Dimeria cleaning herself. "It's the hottest fire there is. It ignites on every surface and can't be put out by any substance."

Dimeria stopped her scrubbing to look over at Jaime. A strange look came over his face as if he were transported to another world and watching what he had just described. Her staring seemed to snap Jaime out of his stupor, so she went back to her washing. She had tried to reach around to her back, but her sore muscles in her arms and ribs prevented her from doing so. Reaching over her opposite shoulder, angling her arm behind her back; each movement caused her pain and she just couldn't wash her back.

"Do you need help?" Jaime offered.

"No, thank you." She replied quickly. "You can stay over there."

"Dimeria, I'm not going to do anything. I-" Jaime sighed. "You can trust me."

"Can I?"

"You did when we were traveling in the woods." Jaime countered swiftly.

Dimeria knew exactly what he was talking about: that night he had held her after she had almost been beaten to death. She didn't exactly have much choice in the matter; she could hardly move, but she supposed if she really wanted it, she would've told him to.

But she didn't.

Taking a deep breath, Dimeria held out the rag to Jaime for him to clean her back. It really was the last thing Jaime had expected.

Was this her way of saying that she trusted him?

He calmly walked through the water, grabbing the washcloth and sitting behind Dimeria. Jaime then realized how hard that must have been for her; Dimeria didn't trust **anyone. **The girl was not an easy person to get close to, yet Jaime had managed to do it; it was a precious thing indeed.

Dimeria trusted him. It was time for Jaime to return the compliment.

He gently pulled her wet hair aside, revealing her bruised back. Dimeria could feel his hot breath on her neck as he gently scrubbed her shoulder blades; she hated the way he brought goosebumps to her skin.

"Aerys Targaryen had a certain fascination for wildfire."

Jaime's abrupt words helped partially drive Dimeria's embarrassment away. Resisting the urge to shiver at his touch, Dimeria looked over her shoulder at Jaime.

"How so?" She asked.

"He loved to watch people burn, the way their skin blackened and melted off their bones. He burned lords he didn't like. He burned Hands who disobeyed him. He burned anyone who was against him. Aerys saw traitors everywhere. So he had his pyromancer place caches of wildfire all over the city…"

Dimeria suddenly felt Jaime tense up behind her. She couldn't see Jaime's face, but she didn't need to see it in order to know Jaime was uncomfortable speaking about this subject. He was hardly scrubbing her back now, much to her dismay, but she said nothing of it.

He began listing places Aerys Targaryen had placed the wildfire.

"Even beneath the Red Keep itself." Jaime said.

Dimeria furrowed her brows at this. Jaime said that last statement with such conviction, but Dimeria had no clue what the Red Keep was...obviously a place in King's Landing, but again, Dimeria thought it was best not to interrupt him.

Jaime continued on with heavy emotion overtaking his mind. He ceased the movement of his scrubbing altogether, keeping his hand over her right shoulder. Jaime was thankful Dimeria's back was to him, he didn't know if he could bear saying this to her face. Confessing the murder of the Mad King to Aerys' own bastard daughter was not something he had planned on doing, but he felt strangely compelled to tell Dimeria everything; he wanted her to know the truth.

Thank the Gods she didn't know Aerys was her father.

"My father arrived with the whole Lannister army at his back, promising to defend the city against the rebels." Jaime shook his head. "I knew my father better than that. He's never been one to pick the losing side."

"Did you tell the king that?" Dimeria asked quietly.

"I did, but the King didn't listen to me. He didn't listen to Varys who tried to warn him." Jaime mentioned the eunuch, even though Dimeria didn't actually know who he was.

Jaime went on with the story through gritted teeth and tense muscles. He confessed the entire thing to Dimeria; how Maester Pycelle told Aerys Targaryen to trust the Lannisters, despite the warnings.

Dimeria found herself sitting in disbelief. She had heard the story of how Jaime became deemed as the Kingslayer; Robb told it to her at length, but this was completely different. Jaime spoke with such emotion and resentment, he clearly did not wholly possess the careless demeanor he liked to show when people called him the Kingslayer; now Dimeria knew why.

"He told me to bring him my father's head."

Dimeria flinched.

"The he turned to his pyromancer: 'Burn them all.' He said."

Dimeria eyes became wider than saucers. Burn innocent people in their own homes, their own beds?

"What would you have done?" Jaime questioned Dimeria. "You hardly handled killing a man; what if your precious Robb Stark had asked you to just stand by and watch thousands of men, women, and children burn alive, would you have done it?" Jaime said hatefully.

Dimeria's breathing came harder, she could hardly comprehend what she was hearing. Although Jaime's mentioning of her killing a man and Robb irked her, Dimeria couldn't find it in herself to give in to the anger; her mind was too enveloped in shock.

_No…_ Dimeria thought to herself; she wouldn't have been able to just stand by and watch thousands of people die.

What must it have been like? To receive the order to kill your own father…

Dimeria obviously didn't have parents, so she could only imagine how conflicted Jaime must have felt.

She heard Jaime inhale deeply. "First, I killed the pyromancer. And then when the King turned to flee, I drove my sword into his back."

Dimeria was horrified by the story.

Jaime continued speaking. " 'Burn them all.' He kept saying. 'Burn them all.'" Jaime's breathing came quicker. "I don't think he expected to die. He meant to burn with the rest of us and rise again, reborn as a dragon to turn his enemies to ash. I slit his throat to make sure that didn't happen." Jaime sighed.

There it was; he just admitted to killing Dimeria's father. Good thing she had no clue.

"And that's where Ned Stark found me."

"Why didn't you tell him?" Dimeria dared to ask.

"You think the honorable Ned Stark wanted to hear my side of the story? He judged me guilty from the moment he set eyes on me." Jaime snorted.

Jaime moved his hand he didn't realize was rested on Dimeria's shoulder. "And that's when I was given my 'identity.' Everyone I've ever come across has called me Kingslayer, but for some reason I **still** don't understand, you haven't called me that."

Dimeria turned then, sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with Jaime and pulling her knees to her chest, not only to hide her body from Jaime, but because she just felt more comfortable that way.

Returning to her old habit, Dimeria began biting her lip. She took a deep breath before speaking. "When I was still young…at Castle Black, I-uh," She chuckled. "I had to train with a wooden sword because I was too weak to hold a real sword."

She turned to Jaime who was looking at her curiously. She smiled a little before continuing. "I was getting tired of using the wooden sword; I thought I was good enough to use a real one, but Commander Jeor wouldn't let me."

She felt her heart twinge at the mention of her old leader. Dimeria shook the thought away and went on. "I snuck out of my chambers one night and went into the weapons shed. I wanted to swing a real blade."

"I got into the shed and went for the first sword I laid my eyes on...I didn't realize someone had followed me in there."

Dimeria paused and replayed the memory in her head. "Anyway, I could hardly lift the damned blade, but well-I've always been stubborn."

Jaime chuckled and tilted his head in agreement, gaining an elbow in the ribs from Dimeria. "I was determined to swing that sword, so I heaved with all my might and it finally lifted up...but I-I hit the man that followed me in there and sliced him right across the chest. I was only 7 years old."

Jaime shook his head sadly. "What happened to him?"

Dimeria laughed. "Oh, he was fine! I barely nicked him, but when he fell back from the shock, I thought I had killed him."

"I ran back up to my chambers and refused to come out. I didn't show up for my training, I didn't leave to get food...I was so scared of getting in trouble."

"Later on though, Benjen Stark came into my quarters and told me that the man was hardly injured. He said that no one was angry with me at all, it was my own conscience making me feel guilty. I asked him why he wasn't mad at me and he said:

'We all make mistakes; some more than others, but none of us are perfect. If you focus on all the bad things a person does, that becomes the only thing that person and anyone else can see. And if you keeping reminding them of all the bad, they can never see the good that they can do.'"

Dimeria stopped and looked Jaime in the eyes. "So when I don't call you 'Kingslayer' it's because...I know you've made mistakes, but I can see the good you can do."

Jaime looked back into her thoughtful eyes. That may have been the kindest thing anyone had ever told him; and the fact that it came from Dimeria made it even more meaningful.

"You should take his advice." Jaime said. "And stop focusing on the negativity in your life."

Dimeria shook her head dolorously. "I'm trying."

* * *

_**So, a lot of Jaime and Dimeria interaction there...hope you all enjoyed that and hey, DIMERIA FINALLY SNAPPED OUT OF IT.**_

_** Feel free to leave me reviews; they help give me motivation!**_

_**Until next time...**_


	25. Chapter 26

_**A/N: Finally, I have another chapter up! I'm so sorry for the longer waits, but I've got a ton going on. I have the next chapter pre-written and plan to keep pre-writing so hopefully the waits won't be as long! Thanks for bearing with me!**_

_**Thank you to my 7 reviewers, **__**Moon of Kello, AthenaB, Amrawo, Bella-swan11, Misskymm, ana(guest) and guest**__**! I think 7 is the most I've ever gotten so, you guys are AWESOME.**_

* * *

Jaime could not find sleep that night. The darkness in the corners of his room seemed to have eyes; judgemental and hateful, staring back at him dangerously. His thoughts were in a whirlwind; they usually tended to be whenever he spent a prolonged amount of time thinking of Aerys Targaryen, but he wasn't the only person Jaime was thinking of that night.

Dimeria was only one room away, but Jaime felt as if she could sense everything he was thinking about her. Guilt he hadn't felt in years stabbed his chest.

Should he have just told Dimeria who her father was?

He had been talking of Aerys the entire night, there was no excuse for him to not tell her, but he still didn't bring it up. Dimeria trusted him; she had fully given in to that trust just that evening; Jaime didn't want all that they had built up to crumble to pieces.

Jaime shook his head. _What are you doing?_ He asked himself. Why should he care if Dimeria trusted him or not? He never cared if people trusted him back at King's Landing, what made Dimeria so different from them?

_The fact that she trusts you at all…_ A voice drifted into his mind.

Jaime rolled his eyes. He knew that was the answer; he just didn't like that he had suddenly become so soft.

He groaned and looked out of his window. The moon was high in the starry sky; he should have been asleep hours ago, yet here he was: eyes wide with anxiety and his mind nowhere near shutting down. An annoying prickling sensation crawling up his arms under the thick blanket drove Jaime to follow his impulse: go to Dimeria and try to be honest with her.

Key word though, "try."

Jaime walked out of his room and into the cold abandoned hallway, turning left to go to Dimeria's chambers. He knocked once softly, but when he didn't get an answer, he went ahead and quietly walked in. Confusion and a slight hint of fear scattered his once determined mind. Her blankets were strewn about crazily all over the bed, hanging down towards the ground; and the pillows were thrown on the floor; obvious signs of some sort of struggle. He hurriedly scanned the room and frantically whispered Dimeria's name.

"Dimeria!" He whispered.

Taking long strides over to her window, he called out of the opening and looked down the face of the tower they were in.

"Dimeria!" Jaime called out again. His heart was racing crazily and he felt his muscles twitching in anger. "Dimeria…?" He said quietly, suddenly fearing for her safety.

A disgruntled groan drew Jaime's attention behind him. There Dimeria was; on the floor, beside the bed, rubbing her sleepy eyes.

"What are you doing in here?" Dimeria asked groggily.

"I was looking for you. I didn't see you on the floor." Jaime said with relief.

Dimeria snorted at his comment and sat up from the ground. "What are you doing on the floor?" Jaime asked her then.

She yawned loudly and stood up slowly before she answered. "I couldn't sleep. I just, couldn't get comfortable on the bed at all." She shrugged as she walked over to the window with Jaime. "I guess all that time on the road, I got used to sleeping on the ground." Dimeria said quietly.

Jaime sighed. "Yeah...we haven't had a real bed for a long time."

Dimeria nodded in agreement as she stared out into the seemingly endless night. She snapped her head towards Jaime then. "What about you? Why aren't you sleeping?"

Jaime diverted his green gaze and turned his back on her. "Just...thinking. Too much I suppose." He said.

"About?" She asked him curiously.

"Aerys Targaryen." Jaime said. Well, it technically wasn't a lie. He offered no further explanation, leaving it to Dimeria to fill in the holes. Luckily Jaime knew what answers she would fill them with. After what he told her, it wasn't difficult to come to the conclusion that he was still thinking of when he became the Kingslayer.

"Oh." Dimeria muttered. She followed him back to the bed, which he was already sitting on. She sighed. "You didn't have to tell me all that, ya know. Not if you didn't want to."

"But I did want to." Jaime admitted. He kept his green eyes cast down to the floor, not able to bring them to Dimeria's gaze. He clenched his fists nervously. "And...there's something else."

_Oh, why did you say that?!_ He mentally scolded himself. Was he actually going to tell Dimeria that Aerys Targaryen was her father?

It looked like it.

"What is it?" Dimeria asked Jaime.

"Uh, it's just…" Jaime stuttered over his words.

_Don't do it…_ A voice told him.

"Aerys is...well-"

_Shut up, you idiot! _The voice screamed in his head.

"He is…"

_She'll hate you if she finds out you're the one that killed her father!_

Jaime inhaled sharply and pinched his lips together. No way in hell was Jaime going to risk Dimeria's wrath; he had had enough of that when they first started on this journey together.

"Jaime...you can tell me." Dimeria said.

_No I can't…_ He told himself.

The little voice in his head began cheering triumphantly as Jaime pushed whatever drive he had to tell Dimeria the truth out of his mind.

"Aerys is the one that made the person that everyone sees in me, even though that's not all that I am. I'm more than just the Kingslayer." Jaime muttered faintly.

It was Dimeria's turn to drop her gaze to the floor. She had felt uncomfortable when Jaime told her the story of killing the Mad King, and she still felt uncomfortable now. She didn't like feeling her own emotions, why the hell would she like it when other people told her about theirs? But this was important to Jaime; she couldn't just kick him further into the mud when he was already down.

She bit her lip nervously as she spoke to him. "I know that people only see you for the Kingslayer because...they don't know the real story, and we both know that there really isn't any point in trying to convince people of the truth." Dimeria began.

_Seven hells, Dimeria._ She thought to herself._ Could you be anymore depressing?_

"But…" She continued. "No one else has ever mattered to you before, they shouldn't be of any importance now." Dimeria said. "And besides, I know the truth. And nothing can ever happen that will change my perception of the person I know you are."

_I wouldn't be so sure, little warrior…_ Jaime thought to himself.

…

The two companions stayed for a long while, just sitting in silence and secretly wondering when this change had come over them. When had they become so comfortable around each other?

It was strange for Dimeria to think back to her old life; well, it seemed fairly old; it really had only been about a year. She was so far from the person that had originally set out from Castle Black; the girl that wanted to find her parents. Along the way, she had almost lost that part of herself; she totally forgot why she was even on her journey. Dimeria seemed to be thanking the Gods every possible second for allowing her to find her purpose again.

That seemed to be the only thing that hadn't changed for Dimeria; she still wanted to get to King's Landing and find her parents, but everything else seemed so different. She couldn't place her finger on each distinction, but she knew everything had altered; Dimeria just couldn't decide if it was beneficial or not.

It wasn't until Dimeria's head rested against Jaime's shoulder did he snap out of his thoughts. She had drifted off to sleep while he was still wide awake. After shifting her carefully back onto the bed, Jaime silently took his leave back to his own chambers.

_Well, that didn't work out the way you planned…_ Jaime thought to himself.

But then again, when had anything worked out the way he planned? Ever since Robb Stark had captured him, Jaime had been living his life by the spur of the moment; never knowing what was coming next. Back at King's Landing when he was a White Cloak, he never really hated the thought of living that life, but he never knew that the uncertainty of that life was so horrible. Never knowing when your next meal was, or when you would be beaten next; you could try to stop yourself from wondering when you would die, but it was always there, itching and gnawing at the back of your mind until you went crazy and killed yourself. Jaime just wanted a sword back in his hand; and the thrill of a good fight, but always knowing he would come out the champion in the end.

No. Nothing had been that set in stone since he had first left King's Landing to meet Robb Stark in the Riverlands. The only thing he could rely on to never change was Dimeria, and even then he had almost lost her. Jaime found that he needed constants in his life; whether it was a constant routine, or a constant presence, he needed it.

As he got back into his chambers and laid down on his bed, he finally felt his mind give in to the sleep he had been previously deprived of. He closed his eyes and began thinking about how close he was to King's Landing now, if Roose Bolton let him go, it would only be a few short weeks before he got back.

Jaime was ready to be back. He wanted to do his job; what he was meant to do and that was fight. Yes, he was definitely happy to be going home; and although he ignored it, there was also a slight tremor of fear: what would happen to Dimeria when they got to King's Landing?

…

Late morning sunlight sprinkled upon Dimeria's face as she awoke, glittering on her white strand of hair and glinting on her fair facial features.

Dimeria did not like it.

With an irritated groan, she reached for a pillow to throw over her face, only to groan even louder after realizing that she had thrown them all across the room during the night. She sat up with a scowl and glared at the burning ball of flame as if her icy cold eyes alone could put it out. The day had barely even started and Dimeria was already setting up dangerous paths for people to tread on.

As if they had their ears pressed against her door waiting for sounds of her waking, 2 handmaidens pranced into her chambers; one holding a pitcher of water and bowl in her hands, the other carrying a dark green gown.

"Good morning, mi'lady." The one carrying water greeted Dimeria. She had ashy blonde hair hanging limply from her head, while the girl holding the dress had red locks streaming down to the middle of her shoulder blades.

Dimeria rolled her eyes and ignored the greeting.

"We've brought you some water and a fresh pair of clothes for today." The same girl said.

"I can see that…" Dimeria muttered. She stood to face the girls and eyed them suspiciously. "What are your names?" She asked them.

"I'm Shayna, mi'lady." The blonde girl said.

"And I'm Clara." The auburn girl spoke.

Dimeria nodded, though she knew she would most likely forget their names almost immediately.

"Well, let's get this straight. First off, I'm not a lady, so don't call me that. Second, I don't like having people waiting on me every second of every day, so don't even think about coming in here as soon as I wake up ever again." Dimeria scolded. "And third, I am **not** wearing that dress." She said with distaste.

Clara looked at the gown frantically. "But Lord Bolton has requested that we find you suitable clothes, mi'lady."

"What did I just say about being a lady!?" Dimeria shouted.

Clara looked down with a blush on her cheeks that matched her hair. Shayna patted her on the shoulder after setting down the water and bowl on a small vanity table.

"Lord Bolton sent us to find you a gown and have you clean up. He wishes to speak with you and Ser Jaime this afternoon." Shayna said timidly.

"What's wrong with the clothes I'm wearing?" Dimeria said, gesturing at her trousers and tunic.

Shayna and Clara looked at each other, scared that Dimeria was asking them a trick question. Dimeria sighed, knowing they were too afraid to truthfully answer her question. She shook her head in disgust. Had she almost become like them when she was Locke's prisoner?

"Fine, I'll wear the dress." She muttered.

Deep sighs of relief escaped the 2 handmaidens' mouths and they immediately set to work. Dimeria washed her face with the water as Shayna left to go find a comb so she could fix Dimeria's hair, although the bastard girl saw nothing wrong with the way it looked.

After cleansing her face, Dimeria was forced to strip from her normal clothes and was put into an old pair of smallclothes and the green gown. She shifted awkwardly as soon as the sleeves slipped down her arms; Clara hadn't even began tying the back up yet. Once securely, though uncomfortably fastened into the gown, Dimeria stepped away quickly to get away from the handmaiden.

"Uh, thank you…" Dimeria stopped, not remembering the girl's name.

"Clara." She said kindly.

"Clara." Dimeria restated. "Thank you, Clara."

"If you'll sit down, mi'la-I mean, Dimeria. I can fix your hair." Shaylin said, almost forgetting what Dimeria had warned her about.

"I'd rather you not." Dimeria said anxiously twirling her hair.

"Please, it won't take long!" Shaylin begged. The poor girl just wanted to do her job.

Biting her lip, Dimeria begrudgingly sat down at the small vanity table and threw her dark locks over her shoulder.

She regretted it immediately.

Knots and tangles were yanked out of her hair viciously as Shayna ran the brush through her mess of strands. Holding back grunts of pain, Dimeria allowed her thick mane to be smoothed to perfection until she could no longer bear it.

She stood from the vanity table and gingerly ran her fingers through her newly pampered hair.

"That'll be enough, Cheyenne." Dimeria said irritatedly.

"It's Shayna…"

"Whatever!" Dimeria snapped. "I don't need your services any longer!"

The 2 handmaidens stared fearfully at Dimeria, not knowing what else to do.

"Just go! Leave!" She shouted at them angrily.

Shayna and Clara scurried out of her chambers like 2 mice fleeing from a cat. Dimeria glared at the space they had previously occupied and went to slam her door shut, but found a confused Tulkas standing at her doorway. She heaved a great sigh.

"What do you want?" She asked him.

"Just some time...I wanted to speak with you." Tulkas spoke quickly.

Just then, another voice entered her room. "Dimeria!" Jaime said walking in, uninvited much to Dimeria's annoyance.

"Gods, can I not have a moment's peace?!" She called out angrily.

Jaime smirked amusedly. "Not with this ugly bastard in the room." He joked, gesturing to Tulkas.

Tulkas didn't know how he managed to reign in his anger, but he did. Ignoring Jaime, he turned to face Dimeria.

"I brought you something." Tulkas lifted a pack out from behind his back. "I thought you might want this back." He tossed it to Dimeria.

She barely caught it, surprise nearly driving all sense from her mind. Dimeria rifled through her pack, hardly believing she even had it back in her hands; she had forgotten all about it on the journey to Harrenhal.

Dimeria's heart just about stopped when she laid her eyes on her dragon eggs.

Gods, she'd forgotten how beautiful they were; shimmering in the light and sparkling in Dimeria's eyes. She ran her fingers across the rigid scales, a tingle running down her spine with each inch she covered. If it hadn't been for Jaime clearing his throat, Dimeria probably would've stared at them for hours.

"You kept these the entire time?" She asked quietly.

"It's your pack; I don't see anything wrong with you keeping it." Tulkas said with a small smile. Dimeria nodded at him before returning her gaze back to her pack. "I should get going." Tulkas said, realizing the conversation was now at an end. "I hope to be riding back to King Robb fairly soon, so…" He turned his back to walk out, ignoring the glare Jaime was sending him.

"Tulkas, uh…" Dimeria started awkwardly. "Thank you...for everything."

Minimal words were spoken, but Tulkas knew the weight of her gratitude was much greater than they seemed. "Don't worry about it." He said kindly. "If I were given a second chance, I would have done it all over again."

And with that they parted their ways, not knowing when they would see each other again. Dimeria watched his back and realized that Tulkas was one of few men who actually possessed honor.

"He's truly a good man." Jaime stated once Tulkas had gone.

"He is…" Dimeria agreed. "It's disgusting." She said with distaste. Dimeria held no honor; and while she respected people who did, she also pitied them. Honor got you nowhere; if you wanted things done, you'd have to do them yourself.

"I agree." Jaime smirked. "You know what else is disgusting? That dress of yours; what color is that?" He asked with loathing.

"It's horrible, isn't it? It looks like horse shit." Dimeria shook her head. "And it's the most uncomfortable thing ever!"

"I'm glad I'm not a woman." Jaime snickered.

"You should be."

Jaime took a moment longer to look over Dimeria's new appearance. Yes, the dress was hideous, but it was probably the best she had ever looked. Her hair was taken care of and she actually looked like the beautiful woman she should have been had she actually been raised by real parents. Jaime smirked once more at how uncomfortable she looked before speaking.

"Roose Bolton wishes to speak with us over lunch." He said seriously.

"So I've heard." Dimeria sighed. "What do you think he'll do with us?"

"Well, if he's smart he'll release us."

"And if he doesn't?" Dimeria asked.

"Then his future will be darker than this dreary shit-hole." Jaime grinned.

Dimeria rolled her eyes. "I thought you said The Wall was a shit-hole."

"Oh it is. Just a different type of shit." Jaime explained. "You see, Castle Black is cold and-"

"Lannister," Dimeria interrupted. "I couldn't care less."

Jaime raised his brows at her. "That's quite the attitude, little warrior. You might want to watch your mouth." He warned.

Dimeria only rolled her eyes and sighed.

Hardly any sleep the night before, 2 annoying handmaidens running at her heels, and Jaime Lannister as her companion…

And to think she still had to endure lunch with Roose Bolton.

…

"I'm glad to see we found you some new clothing, Lady Dimeria." Roose Bolton said.

"I wish you wouldn't have gone through the trouble. I was perfectly fine with my normal clothes." She said, straining to remain kind. "And please, it's just 'Dimeria.'"

"As you wish." He nodded.

Silence fell over them as they continued eating, except for the clinking of their silverware on plates.

"Many of King Robb's men spoke of how beautiful your eyes were, Dimeria." Bolton said, breaking the silence. "I did not believe them when they said they were more blue than sapphires. I must say that I believe them now."

Jaime didn't know if it was nausea, or laughter gurgling in his stomach. Gods, was Roose Bolton actually attempting to flirt? If he was, it was the most pitiful attempt Jaime had ever seen; and the fact that Dimeria was on the receiving end made it even worse. She had no kind feelings towards anyone hardly, least of all Roose Bolton.

"And that white strand of hair, it is most becoming on you." Bolton continued.

Dimeria thought she felt her food coming back up, so she could only smile in reply to Bolton's compliments. She didn't trust this man, surely he was only doing this to play mind games. Well, the only thing that he was doing was making her sick. Dimeria heard Jaime snort at the compliment and nearly flinched at the glare Bolton sent his way.

"I should send you back to Robb Stark." He told Jaime.

"You should." Jaime smirked. "But instead, you're here horrendously flirting with my companion. Why might that be?"

Bolton quickly glanced at Dimeria, who was looking down at her plate in an attempt to hide her amused smile. Unfortunately, Bolton saw the smile and was not pleased.

"Wars cost money." He stated, turning his attention back to Jaime.

"We both know who would pay the most." Jaime countered.

"I don't know." Bolton mused. "I bet King Robb would pay plenty of money if I returned his own personal whore back to him." He insulted Dimeria. "After all, he was quite upset when he heard news that you had kidnapped her."

Dimeria gripped a knife given with her meal in her fist, furious at Bolton's comment. Jaime placed his hand over Dimeria's to calm her down, though he could feel her tense muscles ready to spring to action.

"Still haven't learned to control that anger, have you?" Bolton taunted Dimeria. He shook his head as the slightest hint of a smirk formed on his face. "Or perhaps the safest thing to do is to kill you both and burn your bodies."

Jamie squeezed Dimeria's hand as he felt her tense up even more; he didn't need to look at her face to know how enraged she was at the moment.

"It would be, if you honestly believed my father would never find out about it." Jaime challenged.

Bolton thought over Jaime's words, though he had already known what he planned to do from the very beginning. He nodded shortly and said, "As soon as you're rested and ready to travel, I will allow you to go to King's Landing."

"Very well." Jaime said. "Little warrior," he said turning to Dimeria, "may our journey continue without further incident."

Dimeria relaxed her grip on her knife, but Bolton's words of release did nothing to dispel the angry visage fixed upon her face.

"Oh, she won't be going with you." Bolton said.

Dimeria's stern blue eyes snapped up to his cold, dead orbs. "What?" She questioned, barely containing her rage.

"I'm afraid I must insist." Jaime spoke.

"Lady Dimeria is going back to the Riverlands with my army and me to rejoin with Robb Stark. As I said before, King Robb was not at all pleased when he found out she was missing."

Dimeria's heart sunk so low she thought she could feel it in her stomach with the rest of her food. It pained her chest to breathe, for she struggled to remain calm and in control when all she wanted was to take her fork and knife and stab Bolton repeatedly in the face.

"I can't let you do that." Jaime spoke calmly, though his voice teetered on the fine line of frustration and pure hatred.

"This time, I'm afraid **I** must insist." Bolton spoke, using Jaime's own words.

"No, I can't go with you." Dimeria said with a faintly shaking voice. Panic was beginning to settle into her nerves; she just couldn't risk going back to Robb Stark's encampment.

"And why is that?" Bolton asked her.

"Because...Jaime didn't capture me, I released him!"

Jaime clenched his hand tightly around Dimeria's and pressed his lips together in a firm line.

This was not going well.

An air of satisfaction swelled around Bolton at Dimeria's words, almost as if he had been waiting this entire time for some sort of confession.

"I see." Bolton finally spoke. "You're still not going with Ser Jaime back to King's Landing."

"Why. Not." She said through gritted teeth.

"Because you are charged with abetting treason, my lady. I cannot let that go unpunished."

Dimeria's throat burned with such anger and frustration that it felt like she could only find relief if she started breathing fire. Her hands shook lividly and she had to force herself to take deep breaths. She could say nothing more to Bolton; she didn't know what else she could possibly do.

"Guards, take them back to their chambers. They need to be well rested before their upcoming journeys."

Dimeria's vision was a heated blaze of fury; she couldn't see where she was going, only that each step made her angrier and angrier. They came to a hallway perpendicular of the one they were already in. Dimeria made a move to turn right so she could go to her chambers, but a guard yanked her in the opposite direction.

"You won't be staying near Ser Jaime anymore. You belong to Roose Bolton." The guard said evilly.

Jaime and Dimeria looked at each other, panic in their eyes, but no sound came out of their mouths. Jaime could only watch as they practically dragged Dimeria to a separate room.

He had no clue what he was going to do.

* * *

_**Thanks everyone for staying with the story and for all the new followers!**_

_**Let me know what you think of this chapter...I'll try to have the next chapter up soon!**_

_**Until next time...**_


	26. Chapter 27

_**A/N: Decided to give you guys Chapter 26 because I like this installment and I decided to be nice **_

_**Thank you to **__**Bella-swan11**__** and **__**Amrawo**__** for the reviews, I really appreciate it so much and I'm glad you guys are enjoying the story!**_

* * *

Dimeria's new room was far from anything that looked new. The one window that had been boarded shut hardly had any more boards on it; they were all broken and hanging crookedly off their nails. Random pieces of furniture were strewn about the space with only one chair comfortable enough for Dimeria to sit on.

She felt helpless.

Roose Bolton was going to make her travel back to Robb Stark's encampment any day now. She didn't want to go back; she had made it this far south already, going back would make it all worthless. Not only that, but she could only imagine how Robb would react to seeing her. It wouldn't be all that bad at first, Dimeria knew, but once Bolton told him that she had released Jaime Lannister…

Well, Robb would probably end up putting her in the same cage Jaime had been in. She cursed her luck. After all she had been through, her journey was now at an end; she hadn't even made it to her destination! Oh, but Jaime was going to make it. The thought drove her mad. Why should he get to go home? The longer Dimeria thought about it, the angrier she felt. She almost hated Jaime for it; just because he was a Lannister, he got whatever he wanted. Dimeria knew it technically wasn't Jaime's fault, but she couldn't help the utter hatred and resentment she was feeling for him. Well, at least she wouldn't be seeing him any longer; he was probably already on his way to King's Landing by now.

The clanking of the steel lock being unhinged drew Dimeria from her thoughts.

_Shit…_ Dimeria thought to herself. Jaime hadn't gone yet.

"You're still here…" She snapped at Jaime.

He looked at her quizzically for a moment. "You're angry with me." He stated more than asked.

Dimeria instinctively wanted to scream, 'yes', but she couldn't since it wasn't technically true. She turned her back and threw her hands into the air.

"Well, I'm angry but…" She groaned out of frustration. "I can't go back to Robb Stark. I need to get to King's Landing, but I can't! Oh, but you can because you're Jaime fucking Lannister!" Dimeria's rage was beginning to bubble over. "All I have is my pack and the clothes on my back, but none of that will matter because I'll probably be dead as soon as Robb sees me!"

Jaime walked closer to Dimeria, grabbing her shoulders and spinning her around. "Calm down, Dimeria." She pulled away from him, but he wasn't fazed. "I won't let anyone kill you."

Dimeria scoffed. "What can you do about it?"

"I owe you a debt, Dimeria." Jaime began. "I promised to get you to King's Landing and that's exactly what I'll do. As soon as I get to back to King's Landing, I'm going to come back for you. I swear it."

Dimeria had calmed down a bit, but she couldn't find it within herself to believe Jaime's words. By the time Jaime got back to King's Landing and managed to march to the Riverlands, she would probably be dead.

"Just go, Lannister. You've already paid your debt to me." Dimeria muttered.

"And how is that?" Jaime asked.

"If it weren't for you, I'd still be that pathetic little girl cowering in the corner. You saved me from that."

Jaime nodded, but he did not agree with her in anyway. For once in his life, Jaime saved someone because he knew it was the right thing to do; not because he owed them a debt. No, Jaime didn't believe he had paid his debt to Dimeria and he was determined that he would.

"I leave tomorrow." He told Dimeria as she turned away from him. "I **will** see you again."

Dimeria didn't turn back to face him that way he didn't see the tears that were threatening to spill over. She didn't sit back down until she heard the click of the door shutting behind her.

…

Jaime was down in the courtyard of Harrenhal the next morning, readying the mount on his horse. He couldn't seem to focus; his mind kept drifting around to Dimeria and how guilty he felt that he couldn't do anything to bring her to King's Landing with him.

"Lannister…"

He was thinking of her so much that he believed he was actually hearing her voice.

"Lannister…"

It was steadily getting louder.

"LANNISTER!"

Jaime turned to face an annoyed Dimeria right behind him. Apparently he hadn't just been hearing things.

"What are you doing here?" He asked Dimeria.

"Roose Bolton is setting out for the Riverlands. I thought I should say good-bye." She explained.

"This is not good-bye...not forever."

"Then good-bye for now." She said rolling her eyes. "I wish you safe travels."

"And you as well." Jaime said.

He watched her retreat back into the stables, looking for a horse that she could mount herself.

"You will give my regards to Lord Tywin, I trust." Roose Bolton said to Jaime, coming up to him with a horse in tow.

Jaime nodded. "Tell Robb Stark I'm sorry I couldn't make his uncle's wedding." Jaime mounted his horse. "The Lannisters send their regards."

With that Jaime drove his horse to a slow trot out of Harrenhal. It was small, but Jaime couldn't help the flicker of relief he felt that he was finally making it to King's Landing; he just wished Dimeria were by his side. Ignoring the glares of many of Bolton's men, Jaime held his head high and refused to look behind him.

And just when Jaime had thought the worst was behind him, a hideous voice seeped through his ears. "Safe journey, Kingslayer."

Seven hells, did Locke never give up?

"What, nothing to say? I liked you better before…" Locke continued taunting, but Jaime resisted giving him any satisfaction by reacting. He spurred his horse onward, gripping the reins tightly. Before Jaime was out of earshot though, Locke called one more thing out to him.

"And don't you worry about your friend, we'll take good care of her!"

It took every ounce of willpower Jaime had not to turn around and have his horse flatten Locke.

Take good care of Dimeria? What did he mean by that?

Locke was staying in Harrenhal; and Dimeria was going to the Riverlands with Roose Bolton…

Wasn't she?

…

Dimeria's horse let out a snort, mimicking the short sighs Dimeria had been releasing frequently. The palomino mare rubbed it's snout against Dimeria's shoulder, somehow sensing that Dimeria was depressed. Although she appreciated the gesture, it didn't lift Dimeria's spirits whatsoever.

"Don't look so depressed." Locke's voice pierced her thoughts like a rodent biting cheese.

"Leave me alone." Dimeria snapped at him.

"Well if I did that, I wouldn't be able to tell you the good news!" Locke said to her.

"Unless you're about to tell me that you only have 1 day to live, I don't care." Dimeria said, walking away from him.

Locke pulled a dagger from his belt and held it against Dimeria's back, causing her to stop mid-stride. "You don't have the Kingslayer to protect you anymore. I would watch that mouth of yours, if I were you." He removed the blade from her back, so Dimeria turned to face him.

"What is it?" She asked, sending her own daggers with her eyes.

"Lord Bolton is no longer requiring you to go Robb Stark's encampment with him." Locke said.

Dimeria's eyes widened in disbelief. "Really? I can go south to King's Landing?"

"Well, not exactly." Locke said, stepping closer to Dimeria.

Dimeria felt as if she had just been kicked in the stomach. "No. I'm not staying here. I'm not staying here with you."

Her chest heaved up and down.

"I'm afraid you don't have a choice." Locke said.

Dimeria dropped the reins of her horse. "No...you can't make me."

"Wrong...again." Locke taunted.

Dimeria began backing away.

"No…"

Locke pursued her.

"There's no point in struggling."

Fear had a firm grip on Dimeria's heart.

"I'm not staying."

Locke smiled evilly at her.

"Yes. You are."

Locke jutted his chin out towards Dimeria quickly and very suddenly. Dimeria didn't understand...until a man behind her pounded the pommel of his sword down on her head; and her world turned to darkness.

…

Dimeria had been kept in her rooms when she was child at Castle Black, she had been forced to stay inside of her tent when Robb Stark had first captured her, and her hands and feet had been bound when Locke kept her prisoner; but never before had Dimeria been behind bars. It was dark and wet, with little light from torches finding it's way through the thin columns of metal.

An acrid stench burned her lungs as she laid on the dark, cold ground of the cell she was in. The ends of her gown were wet, chilling her ankles down to the bone and crawling up her legs to the rest of her body.

Dimeria was stuck in Harrenhal with Locke. The thought disgusted her more than being sent back to Robb. She had no chance here; Locke was going to torture her until she begged for death, and even then he would never give it to her. Angry tears flowed from her eyes as the fear and frustration drove her body to the bars. She ran at full force, screaming and shouting at whoever could hear her as she pulled and pushed on the entrance to the cell. She kicked and shrieked until she felt her body collapse under the physical strain. Down she fell to the floor, her muscles too tired to move themselves into a more comfortable position.

Dimeria was too frightened to think of what Locke would do to her, so she settled for something else. She let her mind wander to Jaime and the fact that he was on his way back to King's Landing; and although she knew it would never happen, Dimeria allowed Jaime's promise to come back to her mind. The words flowed in her mind, trickling into a pool of comfort, somehow healing her beaten and torn up heart.

…

"So why did the Citadel take your chain?" Jaime asked Qyburn. "Did you fondle one boy too many?" Jaime and the small group of Bolton's men that had departed with him had begun to settle down into camp for the night.

"No, my Lord, that's not my weakness." Qyburn answered, unperturbed by Jaime's taunting; he almost seemed amused.

"Then what is?"

"Curiosity." Qyburn answered immediately. "The only way to treat disease is to understand disease. And the only way to understand it is to study the afflicted."

"You performed experiments on living men." Jaime concluded.

"On dying men." He corrected.

"With their permission?"

Qyburn gave Jaime a pointed look before explaining himself; although the healer really couldn't have cared less what the Kingslayer thought of him.

"My studies have given me insight that has saved many lives."

"Dying paupers, I assume." Jaime decided to continue on with his speculations of Qyburn's life as a former maester. "Men with no families to complain. You found them moaning in the poorhouse and had them carted back to your garret and opened up their bellies to see what was inside."

"How many people have you killed, my Lord?" Qyburn stopped Jaime's rambling.

"I don't know." Jaime said, slightly surprised by the sudden question.

"Countless?" Qyburn suggested.

Jaime tilted his head, considering the word. "Yes, countless has a nice ring to it."

"And how many lives have you saved?" Qyburn asked.

"Half a million." Jaime said without missing a beat. Qyburn gave him a questioning glance. "The population of King's Landing.

Qyburn looked like he wanted to ask more, but he resisted the urge and let the topic go.

"When did Lord Bolton set out to the Riverlands?" Jaime questioned suddenly.

"They left not long after us."

Jaime looked back to the small silhouette of Harrenhal; the view would be gone by the next day. "Does he really plan on turning in Dimeria to Robb Stark?" He asked Qyburn.

Qyburn furrowed his brows at Jaime. "Lady Dimeria is not travelling with Lord Bolton."

"What?" Jaime asked urgently.

"Lord Bolton left her in the hands of General Locke back at Harrenhal."

Jaime's chest sunk in at the news. Dimeria in the hands of Locke? Jaime couldn't leave her in that situation; he had to save her. Determination fixed upon his face, Jaime made his way to the guard that had been leading the small contingent to King's Landing so far.

Luckily for Jaime, he managed to convince the men rather quickly to turn back around to Harrenhal. "I've left something." Jaime claimed to the men; and after threatening to tell his father that they had tried to endanger his life, they all made their way back to the looming towers of Harrenhal. Jaime only hoped he would make it in time to save Dimeria.

…

The last time Dimeria had been this injured was when Locke almost had her beat to death. This was different though; back then she had been helpless with no will to live, Dimeria was fighting for her life now. Sadly though, the attempt at living for Dimeria at this moment seemed just as futile as it did back then.

A wooden sword against a bear...Dimeria didn't know how she had managed to survive this long.

Three deep gouges ran along her shoulder and down her back. Her gown was dirty and hung in tatters around her mud-covered ankles. Once again, her white strand of hair was tainted and strewn about her head in messy tangles. For any normal person to look in Dimeria's eyes, they would have been terrified by the frenzied and crazed look she possessed. Her will to live was stronger than it had ever been, but each roar and growl the bear released thudded against her chest and threatened to shatter her determination.

A song drifted down to her ears as she desperately tried to keep a safe distance away from the bear.

"Oh come they said, oh come to the fair!"

The cruel men watching her from above the pit she was in were singing along loudly, all the while cheering and cursing her on. Dimeria swung the wooden toy defensively in front of her, hoping the keep the beast at bay.

The singing went on, but Dimeria had never heard the song before, so she paid no mind to it; letting it drift through her ears whimsically.

"They danced and spun, all the way to the fair! The fair! The fair!"

Her heart beat against her chest quickly, though her labored breaths were coming much faster. She shuffled her feet to the side, deciding never to turn her back on the bear; Dimeria wouldn't risk her life in such a foolish way.

The singing got louder and louder as the men's excitement level grew higher than The Wall itself. It roared in and out of her ears senselessly; Dimeria still could not make much sense of the lyrics.

"Her hair! Her hair! The maid with honey in her hair!"

Dimeria's limbs ached with fatigue; the only thing keeping her going was the incessant adrenaline coursing through her veins. She ran from the bear once more, ignoring shouts from Locke and other men telling her to stand her ground and fight. If she could afford the risk, Dimeria would've screamed back up at them to fight the bear themselves.

"Oh, I'm a maid, and I'm pure and fair! I'll never dance with a hairy bear!"

_I'll never dance with a hairy bear…_

The words stuck in her mind, repeating over and over. Dimeria wished she could claim those lyrics for herself, but obviously she couldn't.

Suddenly it all just clicked.

"I called for a knight, but you're a bear! A bear! A bear!"

Dimeria could have laughed if she had the time. Were they actually basing her torture off of a silly song? Somewhere within herself, Dimeria felt angry; but one side of her, the more humorous and sarcastic side of herself, thought it was amusing. She supposed if she weren't the one in the pit, she would probably be laughing along with the men.

"She kicked and wailed, the maid so fair, But he licked the honey from her hair!"

So she was the maid they were singing about? Dimeria could hardly believe it. She suddenly found herself listening to the words of the song; perhaps they gave some hint as to what they had planned for her next.

"Then she sighed and squealed and kicked the air!"

The words soared in front of her eyes, distracting her from the obstacle directly in front of her, but she could help herself; the song was amusing! The wooden sword was involuntarily lowered in front of her as Dimeria became more and more enthralled with the music.

"And off they went, from here to there, the bear, the bear, and the maiden fair!"

The singing stopped. But the bear didn't.

Dimeria's eyes widened as she saw the bear rise up on it's hind legs, towering like a skyscraper before her. She raised her pathetic weapon ahead of her, but she was too late. The bear swatted the wood to pieces, knocking Dimeria off balance at the same time. She stumbled to the side, barely able to maintain her balance; but it was all for naught, for the bear suddenly pounced on her. A crushing paw stepped upon her back as she screamed out in pain. Angry shouts from above drifted down to Dimeria, but they were pounded away by the thunderous beating of her heart.

She somehow managed to scarcely crawl away from the bear, more tears and scrapes appearing along her back. A flying form abruptly appeared between Dimeria and the bear, grabbing her arm and trying to help her up.

"Get behind me!"

_Thank the Gods…_ Dimeria thought to herself as she scrambled to her feet and moved quickly behind Jaime Lannister.

The bear swayed it's head from side to side, sizing up it's new opponent at it's feet. Jaime cursed under his breath. He hadn't thought this far ahead. No weapon was at his reach and there was no escape except going back up the way he came; and that was not an option with the bear starting to close in on him and Dimeria.

He could feel Dimeria at his back, staying close since she really had no other option. A rumbling roar escaped the bear's maw. Jaime and Dimeria both jerked their heads up to see the man who had been leading Jaime to King's Landing with a crossbow in his hands.

"The fuck you doing to my bear!?" They heard Locke scream.

Jaime averted his eyes back to the bear and it's thrashing head. This was his once chance, he knew he had to take it.

He pushed Dimeria back against the wall of the pit. "Pull her up!" He screamed to the men above them. Jaime then bent over on all fours and turned over his shoulder to Dimeria. "Climb up there." He demanded.

Not having any time to argue, Dimeria stepped on his back and clambered up the wall to reach the outstretched hands above her head.

"Hold my legs!" Dimeria ordered the men once she had climbed back up. She knew she didn't have anytime to waste.

"Jaime! Grab my hands!" She shouted desperately.

The bear was charging at Jaime now, all of it's lumbering weight threatening to crush him.

"Jaime!" Dimeria screamed. "Stop staring and GET UP HERE!"

Dimeria's voice pierced Jaime's world of panic and fear; and he climbed to find whatever foothold he could to reach Dimeria's hands.

There they were; a beacon of light in Jaime's frightening world of darkness. Her blue eyes shone with worrisome tears, scared that Jaime wouldn't make it in time.

Almost there.

A deep vibration like an earthquake rattled the rafters of the pit from the bear tackling the wall; and reaching out at the last second, Jaime grabbed Dimeria's hands and was pulled to safety.

They landed at the top, breathless and panicked, but more or less uninjured. Jaime pulled Dimeria up and turned to finally come face to face with Locke.

"The bitch stays." Locke urged.

Dimeria took step forward, ready to knock Locke's head off with her bare hands. Blood ran down her arms and legs, making her look like a vengeful queen of death. Jaime held her back though, holding steady and dangerous eye contact with Locke.

"I'm taking her to King's Landing." Jaime almost growled out the words.

"She belongs to me. Lord Bolton's orders." Locke said.

"What do you think is more important to Lord Bolton? Making sure his pet rat is happy, or ensuring that Tywin Lannister's son is returned to him?" Jaime challenged.

Locke backed down and rested his hand against the wooden railing. He stopped fighting. Finally. For the first time in months, something had finally gone Jaime and Dimeria's way. Without another word, Jaime walked forward and left Locke behind.

The flaming hatred and ferocity did not diminish in Dimeria's eyes. After all Locke had put her through, Dimeria couldn't just walk away like Jaime had. Adrenaline was still pumping through her veins as she made one last step towards Locke. Moving faster than anyone around could blink, Dimeria drew the sword from Locke's very own belt; and moving smoothly and quickly, she cut Locke's hand off.

An agonizing scream escaped his mouth, reverberating off the broken towers of Harrenhal as Locke fell to his knees.

Dimeria had nothing more to say to him. She dropped the bloodied sword behind her; and after tucking her hair behind her ear; she walked off to follow Jaime.

They would soon be on their way to King's Landing. Together.

* * *

_**Well it's about freaking time they got away from Locke! Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter; remember to leave reviews. I love hearing from you guys, so let me know what you think!**_

_**Until next time…**_


	27. Chapter 28

_**A/N: Chapter 27 has arrived! Wow, I can't believe I'm almost to 30 chapters...crazy! Thank you to Bella-swan11 and Moon of Kello for the reviews. I love it when you guys give me your insight and your reaction to the chapter, it makes me love writing even more!**_

* * *

Tulkas was not a member of Roose Bolton's army; he belonged to the Stark troops, so when he was travelling to the Twins surrounded by Bolton's men, he couldn't help but feel immensely out of place. Tulkas tried to keep to himself most of the time and the other men seemed to prefer it that way; they all seemed to ignore him at all costs. The atmosphere of the encampments at night was tense, ready to burst like a bubble; and Tulkas wanted to know why, but no one ever gave anything away.

They were about a week away from Walder Frey's home for Edmure Tully's wedding when Tulkas began getting especially suspicious. He had heard rumors that Robb Stark had backed out of his word to marry a Frey girl, leaving it up to his Uncle to marry one of the daughters. It didn't take much, just four words, but Tulkas should have never heard them; not in the Riverlands.

"Lannisters send their regards."

It was one piece of a conversation that he never heard the rest of, but it was enough to put him on edge. The Lannister's shouldn't be anywhere near them, so why were they 'sending their regards?' Tulkas didn't know, but he made sure to keep his ears open and one hand always on the hilt of his sword.

He especially kept a close eye on Roose Bolton since he was the one that said the ominous words of the Lannisters.

…

Each day brought Dimeria and Jaime closer to King's Landing. Each day renewed Dimeria's hope of finding her parents. Each day filled Jaime's heart with more and more fear. Barely a week had passed since they had left Harrenhal after the incident with the bear; they still had several more weeks to endure before they were to set foot in the capitol, but Jaime was already thinking ahead to that day. He and Dimeria had been on quite an adventure together over the past year; King's Landing would just be a start to a newer, and possibly more dangerous journey. He tried not to think about it too much and during the day he succeeded, but the night always seemed to bring dark shadows along with uneasy thoughts for Jaime.

Jaime didn't want to deal with it that night, so he got up from his spot around the fire in search of some relief for his weary mind. As he stood, he saw that he wasn't the only one that had vacated his spot. Jaime smiled to himself; he was glad Dimeria had trouble sleeping like he did, it meant he had someone to talk to in the middle of the night. Following the dark silhouette he believed to be Dimeria, he thought back to the days before the war; when he was reclusive. Jaime enjoyed being alone, or being with Cersei; he wondered if he would go back to being that way...

He doubted it. But what was strange was that he didn't seem to mind, he seemed to like the idea of change.

"I'm starting to think you like the company of horses rather than people." He called out to Dimeria.

"And what if I do?" She asked him. Jaime could hear the smile in her voice.

"I'd say that I agree. Horses are much more enjoyable than other people." He said walking to her side.

Dimeria laughed and continued stroking the horse she had been riding for the past week. Amarice was her name and she seemed pleased to have Dimeria around just as much as Dimeria liked brushing her mane. She slung her arm around Amarice's neck to give her a hug before leading her back up to a tree to tie her up. Dimeria shrugged her shoulders painfully as she walked away from the horse; the gouges on her back and shoulder were still extremely sore and she found it difficult to move sometimes.

"You should see if Qyburn has any ointment for your back." Jaime told her.

She rubbed a hand gently across her shoulder. "He already has. It's getting better, though. I'll be fine."

Jaime smirked at her as they sat down on a hillside not far from the rest of the men. "It was very kind of Qyburn to tend to your wounds before he saw General Locke…"

A smile came upon Dimeria's face before she could even think to resist it. "Locke was perfectly fine."

"Oh, of course. It's not like he had his hand cut off or anything." Jaime joked.

Dimeria laughed, but then suddenly grew serious. "He had it coming."

"Yes, he did." Jaime nodded. "How did it feel?" Jaime asked abruptly.

"Chopping his hand off?" Dimeria asked incredulously.

"Well, no. How did it feel to hold a sword again?"

Dimeria could find no words to spit out; how did she feel? The action had been one based on pure instinct and the hunger for revenge.

"It felt...normal." Dimeria decided. "There was no hesitation or regret; I just did it. Honestly, I felt more like myself than I ever have with that sword in my hand."

"I know how you feel." Jaime smirked.

A lump suddenly formed in Dimeria's throat. She hadn't felt anything when she had permanently maimed Locke.

Nothing.

What did that say about her? Was she some heartless killer now?

"Jaime...I didn't feel anything. I just-" Dimeria couldn't voice her doubts at the moment. She stuttered helplessly, trying to just figure out exactly what was going on her head. "What kind of person am I, that I didn't feel anything when I cut someone's hand off?"

Jaime was surprised by her sudden misgivings about Locke. "Dimeria, that man put you through hell. It's completely understandable to want some sort of revenge on him."

"Okay, but to not feel anything? You were the one that told me to never become cold and heartless, what if I can't do that?"

Jaime sighed. "Don't do this to yourself again. Sword fighting is a part of your life, giving that up would mean giving up part of yourself. You can't be afraid to be who you really are…"

He began trailing off at the end, his own unsettling feeling beginning to build in his stomach. Jaime wished he could live by his own words; he was starting to sound like quite the hypocrite. He gazed at Dimeria's face, her beautiful eyes glinting in the moonlight. If Jaime Lannister ever prayed, he would've asked the Gods to spare Dimeria from living the life he found himself stuck in; a life of dull and meaningless routine, all because he wanted to keep up the facade that he didn't care about; that being called the Kingslayer didn't bother him when it actually tore him to pieces. Dimeria brought out the best in Jaime; showed him what he could have been long ago and what he still could be if he really wanted it.

"That's the problem though," Dimeria said softly. "I don't know who I am."

"You will." Jaime reassured her. "I promise you will."

…

Stark banners were flying in the air when Bolton's men finally arrived at the Twins. Tulkas had never felt such relief. Now the men he had grown up with, not strangers that just happened to be fighting for the same cause, would finally surround him. As they entered into the dreary castle of Walder Frey's, Tulkas was overcome by a crushing weight of distress. He dismounted his horse shakily just as Robb Stark made his appearance out of the castle.

Tulkas was the first to bow; and soon the rest of Bolton's men followed suit. "King of the North!" They all greeted him.

Robb stepped forward to greet Lord Bolton, a pleased smile on his face now that he had more of his men back, but the look soon disappeared once he saw the grim demeanor of Bolton.

"Lord Bolton," Robb greeted. "You look as if you news for me."

"I do, your Grace. I would advise calling a meeting with your banners." Bolton told him.

"Of course." Robb nodded and turned to walk back into building, while Bolton signalled to his men to dismount and unpack their things.

Tulkas watched on worriedly, he knew what Lord Bolton would be discussing with Robb; the topic of Dimeria's whereabouts would interest Robb greatly, but Tulkas knew he wasn't going to get the news he was expecting or hoping for. Tulkas was scared for Dimeria. He didn't want her to be hunted down by Robb; she wasn't significant in this war they were fighting and looking for her would only be a distraction, but Tulkas knew how important she was to Robb. He just hoped it wouldn't be the downfall of everyone.

…

"She's alive?" Robb asked.

"She is. One of my own men, Locke, captured her and the Kingslayer while they were on their way to King's Landing."

"And where are they now?" Robb nearly growled out the words.

"The Kingslayer escaped, but we still have Lady Dimeria in captivity." Locke said. He mentally patted himself on the back; it wasn't technically a lie after all, well, as far as he knew it wasn't.

"How did he escape?" Robb demanded to know.

"He used Lady Dimeria as a distraction and when he saw the opportunity, he ran."

Robb forced himself to take in the information word by word; he couldn't let his emotions cloud his decision; he had learned that from Dimeria. Taking a deep breath, Robb finally spoke. "And Lady Dimeria, is she alright?"

"As far as I know, yes, she is." Bolton told Robb. "But you should know something."

"Then by the Gods, say it." Robb said, frustration rising to the surface.

"Lady Dimeria was not kidnapped by the Kingslayer. She was the one who released him."

Robb thought he felt bile coming up his throat. He had loved this woman, had worried endlessly night after night; and it was all for nothing. **She** released him. Robb gripped the armrests on his chair until his knuckles turned white, desperately trying to keep a hold of his anger. His throat tightened as he battled his mind to stop from just breaking down in front of his bannermen.

"Maybe the Kingslayer put her up to it." Lord Umber suggested after realizing how conflicted Robb must have been feeling.

"And how would he do that? He had nothing to offer the girl; she's a bastard child." Lord Bolton retorted.

"Perhaps he offered her a real name, just like you've offered **your** bastard your own name." Edmure Tully put in suspiciously.

"So he offered her a marriage into a highborn family. Who would she be married to? Joffrey is already betrothed to Margaery Tyrell, Tommen Baratheon is still a child, Tyrion Lannister will never accept being told that he has to put an end to his promiscuous ways, and Jaime Lannister himself cannot marry her." Bolton said. "So tell me, who exactly will she be marrying."

"Perhaps it wasn't marriage." Lord Umber growled. "Bastards are just as susceptible to being rich as anyone else is. And everyone knows the Lannisters have enough money to make anyone rich."

Bolton scoffed at the men in front of him. "Why are you defending her? She's a traitorous bitch, she has committed treason!"

"Enough!" Robb shouted. The men quieted immediately at the power in his voice. "I will think on this tonight and we shall discuss it tomorrow morning."

"Should we not wait until after the wedding?" The Blackfish spoke, who had remained silent up until that point.

Robb sighed and closed his eyes to calm himself. "Yes. Once the celebrations have come to an end, we will finish discussing this."

The rest of the bannermen nodded their agreement and wished their king a good night's rest before exiting the room. Robb ran a hand through his thick curls, already dreading the headache that was beginning to throb in the back of his head. All he wanted to do now was get a full night's rest before his uncle's wedding; it was going to be an interesting affair to say the least.

Deciding to retire for the night, Robb started making his way back to his chambers. He couldn't get his mind to wrap around the fact that Dimeria had released Jaime Lannister. Why? Robb had done everything for her, even called off his own engagement to a Frey girl because of his feelings for her. Why did she do it? He shook his head, deciding not to think of it any longer, knowing it would only bring him only more heartache and pain. In the hallway just before his room, he found his mother and 2 other figures looking for him.

"Robb!" His mother called out to him. "Ser Tulkas was kind enough to tell Brienne and me what happened. Are you alright?" She asked him kindly. Brienne and Tulkas came up behind her, both of them quietly keeping their distance.

"Ser Tulkas," Robb said, not feeling up to answering his mother's question. "You were with Locke's men when Lady Dimeria and Jamie Lannister were first caught?" He asked him.

"Yes, your Grace."

"Come with me, I'd like to know everything that happened."

Robb walked past his mother, Tulkas following in tow to go to his chambers and discuss everything that had happened.

"Robb," His mother said, taking a step to follow him. She stopped though, sighing deeply in defeat. "Sleep well tonight, my son."

Robb nodded his thanks and returned the sentiment before he was finally allowed to enter his room. He pulled out a chair for Tulkas to sit in and poured 2 cups of wine, offering one to Tulkas as he sat down in his own seat.

"What happened?" Robb asked.

So Tulkas began his own account of what happened when Locke took Jaime and Dimeria captive. He began with how strange he thought she was acting when he first saw her, about the fact that she wouldn't fight back against the men who were attacking her. He saw Robb tense up when he recounted how Locke's men had tried to force themselves upon Dimeria, but he relaxed when Tulkas said how she was able to talk her way out of it. He told Robb about the second night she was almost raped; the same night she had saved Jaime from having his hand cut off.

"She saved him?" Robb asked incredulously.

Tulkas nodded before continuing with story. He was happy to see that Robb was pleased when he told him that he had saved Dimeria from being choked to death by Locke, although she was nearly beaten to death right after that as punishment.

"After that, she just seemed to give up, like she didn't want to try anymore." Tulkas said sadly. "Once we got to Harrenhal, she snapped out of it, but...she went through a lot. I'm amazed she's made it this far."

Robb leaned back in his seat, rubbing a hand over his face. He found it hard to believe that these things were going on in **his** army. Yes, he preferred holding people captive rather than execution, but he never treated anyone that horribly; and the fact that this was going on in his army not only infuriated him, but embarrassed him to some extent. He was relying on these people to help him win wars? The thought concerned him greatly.

"Look, your Grace, I-" Tulkas began.

"Robb, Ser Tulkas. Robb is fine."

"Robb. Look, I don't know what Lord Bolton said to you in that meeting and it's not my business or place to say so, but…" Tulkas paused, searching for the appropriate words to say. "I would remain cautious of Lord Bolton and his men if I were you."

Robb furrowed his brows at Tulkas, not using any words to ask for an explanation. Tulkas shook his head frustratedly. "A shadow has been growing in my mind about him. It started when I found out that he was allowing the Kingslayer to go back to King's Landing."

Robb jerked his attention to Tulkas immediately. "He **allowed** him to go?!" He asked furiously.

"Yes, he sent him back, but he wouldn't allow Lady Dimeria to go with him. He was going to take her with us on the trip here." Tulkas said with trepidation. "He ended up leaving Lady Dimeria in Harrenhal with General Locke, putting it up to him to decide her punishment for treason."

"I think there may be some truth to your warning, Ser Tulkas." Robb said as he stood up to begin pacing his room anxiously. "Lord Bolton informed me that Jaime Lannister escaped from Harrenhal." Robb shook his head. "This makes me doubt as to whether or not he has Dimeria held captive."

Tulkas thought of Robb's statement for a moment. "If she did get away, would you go after her?" He asked Robb.

Robb didn't even need a moment to think about it. "No. She left for a reason: to get to King's Landing. And politically speaking, it's not Dimeria that I need to keep in chains. It's the Kingslayer."

Tulkas pitied Robb in that moment; even though Robb had learned to let Dimeria go, part of him still wanted to have her with him.

"She's sorry, you know; that she had to leave like that." Tulkas told him.

Robb stopped pacing. "She is?" He asked softly.

"I think you mean more to her than she ever wanted to admit, but she had something she needed to do."

Robb had his back turned to Tulkas, so he allowed himself to smile despite the hurt that was returning to his heart. "Dimeria was never one to let her emotions dictate her actions."

"No, she isn't." Tulkas agreed. "And I think that's how you need to handle this situation with Bolton."

Robb spun back around to Tulkas, curiosity in his eyes. Tulkas continued sternly. "You need to be wary of Bolton's actions. I know that he's your bannerman and a man you've known for most your life, but you can't let that get in the way of the fact that he's planning something. He didn't lie to you for no reason."

"You're right." Robb agreed.

"I think...perhaps you should have more of your own soldiers and guards around you, just to be safe."

Robb smiled a genuinely kind smile at Tulkas. He was just a simple soldier, but here he was, warning Robb of suspicious behavior just to keep him safe. "Thank you, Ser Tulkas. I'll be sure to take the necessary precautions, especially tomorrow with the wedding."

Tulkas nodded and stood, thanking Robb for the wine before heading to the door. "Ser Tulkas!" Robb called out. "Thank you for being honest with me. I won't forget it."

…

Tulkas' warning sparked fear and suspicion within Robb instantly. Not only was he afraid for his life, but for the lives of the men that were still loyal to him; which he was unsure how many there were now that Roose Bolton was not a man to be trusted. His mind conjured up images of bloody deaths and backstabbings; Robb didn't know what he would've done if Tulkas hadn't warned him.

Robb needed to take action. If he was in danger, then surely his family and closest advisors would be also. He would warn his uncle, of course, but his mother; she would soon cancel the entire wedding if there were any chance of Robb being in danger. They couldn't do that. They needed this alliance to happen, but Robb couldn't just leave his mother unprotected. Robb nearly smacked himself in the face for taking so long to come his conclusion. Tell Brienne of course! He looked out of his window; the moon was high in it's ascent, but Robb had a feeling that the loyal warrior would still be awake.

He walked down the hallway to his mother's room, which wasn't far from his own, to find Brienne just exiting the chambers.

"Brienne, may I have a word with you?" Robb asked her.

"Of course, your Grace." She obliged.

They walked further down the hallway, Robb not wanting his mother to overhear any part of the conversation.

"I'm hoping that I may speak with you in confidence." Robb began.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." She said.

Robb sighed and clenched his hands together. "Ser Tulkas has told me disturbing news. I won't go into detail of what he said, but I need you to be cautious…" Robb trailed off.

"And who is it I need to be cautious of, if I may ask?" Brienne asked suspiciously.

"Lord Bolton and his men."

"Lord Bolton?" Brienne wondered incredulously.

"He has been behaving strangely...suspiciously more like it." Robb said. "Ser Tulkas has advised me to increase the guards I have around me, but I want to make sure my family is safe."

"And you want me to protect your mother." Brienne stated more than asked.

"Would it be too much to ask of you? I can assign more guards to watch over her if-"

"Your Grace, I swore an oath to serve and protect your mother; it would be an honor to protect her life in a dangerous situation like this."

A sigh of relief escaped Robb's lungs. It lifted a huge weight off of his shoulders knowing that someone as loyal as Brienne would be protecting his mother. "Thank you, Brienne."

"I assume you want her unaware of the danger?" Brienne called after him before he could walk away.

Robb turned back around and nodded. "Yes. I fear that if she's informed, she would try to stop the wedding. And we need this betrothal."

"I understand." Brienne said. "Rest well tonight, your Grace. You'll be needing sleep."

"And you as well, Brienne."

…

Gallons and gallons of blood were pooled on the floor; a red sea of death. Tulkas walked through slowly; disbelief, confusion, and anger rattling about in his skull, begging for release, but Tulkas knew it wasn't the time to give into his emotions. Now was the time to man up and do what needed to be done. He closed his eyes and the bloody event of that night came crashing back to his mind:

_Tulkas, Brienne, Edmure, The Blackfish, and several soldiers knew of the coming danger; and were told to remain on alert, meaning that none of them were to consume an unhealthy amount of alcohol, much to Brynden Tully's dismay. They all managed to get in positions to survey the entire throne room in which the feast was being held. Hugs and cheers were exchanged constantly, everyone shared toasts to the bride and groom, and smiles were on everyone's faces. _

_Except Roose Bolton._

_Tulkas made sure to never let the man out of his sight. The bedding ceremony began. Poor Roslin Frey; she had seemed to be enjoying Edmure's company for the night, much to everyone's surprise, but at the mentioning of the ceremony, her face turned whiter than a full moon. The men carried her off with drunken shouts of excitement; and soon she was out of the room and off to her chambers. Edmure was surrounded by women, giggling while slowly stripping him down to his bare skin. If Edmure had to be honest, he was actually a little excited to bed his wife, but with knowledge of dangerous activity, he was reluctant to leave the throne room. He managed to share one last look with Robb Stark, who nodded back to him; both of them knowing what was in each other's mind without saying a word. _

_The Rains of Castamere began playing from the musicians up on the balcony above the dining hall. Tulkas put a hand on the handle of his sword. Something was wrong; why would they be playing this song at a wedding? Catelyn Stark seemed to notice it too, and if she had not seen Robb and Tulkas share a look, she would have continued on cluelessly, but now she knew:_

_They were all in danger. _

_Tulkas went to one of the other guards that were aware of the situation. "Release the King's direwolf. Try to remain unseen." He said. _

_His timing was perfect, for as soon as the man left the room, one of Walder Frey's sons shut the doors. Tulkas looked back up to the musicians on the balcony. One of them kept peering over their shoulder uncomfortably as they continued playing; Tulkas knew he had to act. Moving inconspicuously, he crept to the stairs leading up to the balcony. _

_Brienne silently moved to the table closest to Lady Stark, intent on protecting her. _

_Brynden Tully stood over in the corner, making sure to be near Walder Frey; surely he was in on this act of treachery also._

_Robb Stark took a seat near the front of the room, keeping his eyes locked on Roose Bolton, who just happened to be sitting next to his mother. _

_A steady hand was placed on Robb's sword; whatever was about to happen, he would be ready for it._

_The music stopped. Walder Frey called out to Robb to get his attention. All hell broke loose._

_Men with crossbows jumped from behind the musicians, all of them aiming at Robb. Tulkas jumped up there immediately; hacking away at anyone in front of him. Blind fury stopped him from feeling anything other than whether or not he could move on to his next victim._

_The first 3 men with crossbows were down within 3 seconds. _

_An arrow hit Robb in the shoulder, another barely skimming his arm thanks to Tulkas knocking most of the men off balance. Robb grunted the pain away and drew his sword, attacking anyone who came at him with a blade. Luckily the arrow hit him in the left shoulder, leaving him more than able to fight._

_Brienne shoved Catelyn under a table after seeing her get shot with an arrow in the shoulder, drawing her own blade and maniacally swinging at anyone who looked to be an enemy. She meant to go straight for Roose Bolton, but the man seemed to have disappeared. _

_Brynden Tully tried to shove his way through to Walder Frey, who was watching the entire scene with unbridled joy, but Bolton had too many of his men in the throne room; they were being attacked wave after wave._

_The doors were finally shoved open; and a grey bullet streaked the air in front of everyone. Grey Wind had been set free by one of Robb's men and was on a path of vengeance. The direwolf battered down anyone in his path; and viciously bit the man currently sparring with Robb. The man fell down to his knee in pain, his leg ripped to shreds by razor sharp teeth. Once Grey Wind was finished with his easy victim, he made his way to the front of the room. _

_He leaped over the table and tackled the old Walder Frey to the ground, biting his face off in the process._

_Tulkas had almost eliminated all of the men on the balcony, but one more man managed to get another arrow off, piercing Robb in the right shoulder blade. With valiant war cry, Tulkas slashed the man's hand off; and watched as it fell off the balcony along with the crossbow. _

_Robb fell to his knees in pain and dropped his sword as soon as the arrow hit his back. Anger and sorrow ripped through his heart as he saw all of the death and destruction around him. His mother was under the table, watching him helplessly; Brienne's face was covered in the blood of their enemies, but also her own; Brynden Tully was surrounded by men, desperately hacking away for his life. Blackness was beginning to blur Robb's vision as a man hit him in the face with the handle of his sword. He fell face down on the ground, barely aware of anything around him. _

_He closed his eyes; and knew no more._

* * *

**_Oh, The Red Wedding..._**

**_So, I hope you guys liked all the Robb and Tulkas action in this chapter, if not, well...we'll be getting back to Jaime and Dimeria next part. _**

**_Let me know what you thought of this chapter. I haven't been getting as many reviews, so I hope this one will get a bit more, I really do love hearing from you guys and it helps me write!_**

**_Until next time..._**


	28. Chapter 29

The high towers of the Red Keep could already be seen by Jaime and Dimeria as they walked on the Kingsroad; they'd reach the capitol by late afternoon. Truth be told, Jaime was extremely nervous. How would everyone react to him? He hardly looked like himself, would they even recognize him?

"Is that it?" Dimeria asked in awe.

Jaime nodded. "That's the Red Keep."

Dimeria bit her lip in anticipation; she was so close and by that afternoon, she would finally be in King's Landing. She could already feel her heart beating with excitement. They stopped at midday for a short rest and so Qyburn could inspect Dimeria's wounds. They had reduced to what looked like minor scrapes, but the former Maester knew that the scars would never go away.

"How do they look?" Dimeria asked.

"They're healing nicely." Qyburn told her. "But don't be surprised if you have scars for a long while."

Dimeria chuckled lightly. "That's the least of my worries."

Qyburn smiled along with her as he applied one last treatment of ointment on her back. Just then, Jaime walked up behind them, though he hesitated since Dimeria's back was bare. She turned at the sound of his footsteps and smirked at his uneasiness.

"You've seen more than just my back before, Lannister." She told him.

He laughed his discomfort away and moved to sit down with her while Qyburn moved the fabric of Dimeria's tunic back in place. Qyburn walked away, leaving the 2 of them in privacy for the moment. Dimeria had been expecting Jaime to speak first, but nothing came out of his mouth. A strained look was on his face, as if he was thinking very hard about something.

"What's your problem?" She asked him.

Jaime narrowed his eyes and sighed, not knowing how to voice his concerns.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" He asked.

"You're joking, right?" Dimeria laughed. "I wouldn't have gone through everything I have if I didn't want to find out who my parents are. Of course I want to do this."

Jaime shook his head and clenched his teeth. "It's just, you may not find what you're looking for, or maybe you'll find something you didn't want to know."

Dimeria couldn't believe what she was hearing. Why was Jaime saying these things to her? She furrowed her brows and looked away from him, irritation creeping into her mind.

"Well, I'm willing to pay that price." She said through gritted teeth.

Jaime stifled the sigh his lungs desperately wanted to release. "It could be dangerous, Dimeria. People in King's Landing don't always respond well to newcomers; and if people see your dragon eggs…" Jaime trailed off. "People would kill you to get their hands on those." He warned.

Dimeria huffed angrily and stood up to get away from Jaime. "Honestly Lannister, I couldn't care less. I've traveled across the damn country to get here and I'm not going back because someone wants to kill me. I've had my life threatened before and I'm fine. So if you don't mind, stop with your warnings because nothing is going to stop me from going in there."

And with that she stomped off, leaving Jaime sitting in the remnants of her fiery wrath.

…

As Jaime and Dimeria walked through to gates to King's Landing, Jaime felt an overwhelming sense of elation; he was finally back. How long had it been? About a year and a half? The horrid smell and the busy streets had not changed whatsoever. He took in a deep breath; something he usually would have regretted, but at the moment he found that he somewhat missed the customary stench of the city.

The street rats still scurried in the shadows; the merchants still called out in an effort to make a profit; and the pleasured moans still echoed from the whorehouses. Reality suddenly rammed Jaime in the gut.

Dimeria was not safe in this city.

If anyone found out that she was a Targaryen, she would be exiled immediately, or worse; executed. He hoped no one would find out her identity, but the fact that she was hauling 2 dragon eggs around didn't exactly make her inconspicuous.

"Keep a good hold on that pack of yours." Jaime ordered.

"Yes, sir." Dimeria growled sarcastically.

Jaime rolled his eyes and took the lead, grabbing Dimeria by the crook of her elbow to drag her along. By the time they reached the upper level of the city leading to the castle, Jaime already felt as if he were back in his Kingsguard armor.

He was back where he belonged.

His grip on Dimeria's elbow was suddenly loosened as Jaime excitedly walked into the outer grounds of the castle. Dimeria shook her head and followed behind him, trying to keep an eye on his blonde hair so she wouldn't get lost in the winding streets of the capitol. It was difficult though, they were both still worn down and dirty; and Jaime's hair was hardly even blonde anymore. She managed it though, and as they walked under an archway, it was almost as if Jaime had expected some sort of welcoming party.

But he was mistaken.

As he walked through, hardly anyone paid him a glance. He looked around disappointedly, but scolded himself for getting his hopes up. He rubbed a hand over his scruffy beard, reminding himself that as soon as he was actually presentable, then people would rejoice in his return.

Dimeria saw the glint of sadness in his tired green eyes and shared a sympathetic look with him.

"They just don't recognize you, Lannister. Don't worry about it." Dimeria comforted him.

Jaime only nodded, but the hole in his chest was not healed by her simple words. He led the way up into the castle, ignoring the admiring gaze on Dimeria's face. She hadn't even been in the city for one hour and she loved it too much. She seemed to already be caught in the dangerous, entangling web that King's Landing constantly spun. So entranced Dimeria was, that she almost didn't notice when they finally entered into the castle.

Dimeria almost ran into Jaime, for he had stopped completely upon entering the marvelous structure.

"We made it." He mumbled more to himself than to Dimeria.

Dimeria looked around, finally realizing the history of the place, how many feelings Jaime must have had at the moment.

"I need to find someone." Jaime suddenly turned to Dimeria.

She felt panicked. "Wh-what do I do?"

"Just…" He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Just follow me for now, but try to keep to yourself."

Dimeria nodded, biting her lip and holding her pack close to her chest. She followed behind Jaime closely, taking 3 small steps to keep up with just one of his long strides. The winding corridors of the castle were too complicated for Dimeria to even try to memorize any of them. Jaime stopped at wooden double doors, one slightly ajar, letting a sparse scent of lavender drift through the opening. He clenched his hands nervously, just staring at the entrance for a few minutes before turning to Dimeria and saying, "Just stay here for a moment."

He didn't wait for an answer, silently entering the room and leaving Dimeria behind. She couldn't help but feel slightly neglected as he walked away from her. She knew who Jaime was seeing; of course he would want to see Cersei right away, but what about her? Was he just going to forget about Dimeria and leave it up to her to figure out who her parents were?

Hot tears burned the corners of Dimeria's eyes as she allowed anger to choke up her throat. She slid her back down against the wall, pulling her knees against her chest to rest her chin upon them as the tears slid down her cheeks.

…

_Shit. Shit. Shit._ Jaime thought to himself as he headed for the throne room of King's Landing.

He hadn't meant to talk to Cersei for so long; he didn't even hear anyone come by the door and start speaking to Dimeria. When he left Cersei's chambers to get Dimeria; she was gone. He asked a nearby guard if he had seen her after describing her appearance, and regrettably found out that she had been taken to the throne room: to be questioned by the King; by Joffrey.

Dimeria was kneeling down before the throne, forcing herself to breathe in through her nose and out of her mouth to calm herself down. It started when a bald-headed man came upon her in the hallway, speaking kind words, but leaving an eerie feeling in Dimeria's stomach. It wasn't long after that, that she was forced down to the throne room by royal request of King Joffrey.

"You were raised on the The Wall, you said?" The blonde king asked Dimeria.

"Yes, My…" Dimeria stopped; she wasn't quite sure how to address the King.

"It's, 'Your Grace.' I suppose I won't punish you for it; it's not your fault you're stupid." Joffrey spat down at her.

"I appreciate it, Your Grace." Dimeria clenched her teeth.

Joffrey shifted in his seat. Dimeria eyed the Iron Throne; why would anyone want to sit in that horrid thing? She looked back up to the King, who was staring at her intently with his dangerous green eyes. This time, it was her turn to shift uncomfortably under his gaze. Thankfully, Tywin Lannister spoke to her.

"How was it you came upon my son?" He asked.

His eyes were just as scrutinizing as Joffrey's, but held much more power than the brat could ever hope to possess.

"I was in Robb Stark's encampment when your son was captured by him." She told him.

"Robb Stark!" Joffrey interrupted. "What were you doing with him?"

Dimeria sighed and tried to stop herself from glaring up at the impudent boy. "Several of his scouts found me when I left Castle Black. Robb Stark kept me in the camp, fearing that I was a spy for…" Dimeria stopped for a moment. "Well, I guess your army."

"And what did you tell the Stark boy when he accused you of that?" Tywin asked.

"I told him I had no clue who you were, and that I couldn't care less about what war he was fighting. I just wanted to get to King's Landing."

Tywin pursed his lips, considering words. She was being brutally honest and he could tell; he just still wasn't sure what he thought of the girl. Just then, the doors to the throne room opened and the 2 fuming twins stomped in. Dimeria realized then just how much they looked alike and couldn't help but a gag slightly at the thought that they had slept with each other.

"Why was I not informed of this questioning?!" Cersei called out angrily, brushing past Dimeria without so much as a glance.

"And I as well." Jaime said, following his sister, but stopping next to Dimeria.

"Ah, dear Uncle Jaime!" Joffrey greeted. "We realized you had only just arrived, we didn't want to trouble you so quickly."

Jaime clenched his hands, glaring at the King, but not saying anything in response. He looked to his father, only to regret it immediately. His father's eyes only showed slight relief that he had his prized son back, but mainly disappointment at the fact that he had been captured in the first place. But Tywin, always one to put business first, returned to Dimeria's interrogation.

"Again, how did you come to be travelling with my son?" Tywin asked.

Dimeria forced herself to remain passive and formal; she was not about to anger the mighty Tywin Lannister. "Robb Stark would not allow me to travel south, so I took matters into my own hands. I knew exactly who Ser Jaime was and that he wanted to get to King's Landing as much as I did, maybe more; so I reminded him of your famous words-"

"A Lannister Always Pays Their Debts." Tywin said for her.

"Yes, and we agreed that if I released him from his imprisonment, he in return would take me to King's Landing."

Jaime looked down at Dimeria confusedly, wondering why she had used his proper title. He was impressed that she was speaking so neutrally, not including any personal details in the story.

"Even from the Riverlands, it shouldn't have taken that long to get back to King's Landing; what took so long?" Cersei asked with slightly narrowed eyes and her head tilted curiously.

Dimeria didn't have time to notice her gaze though, for she looked down at the floor as she thought back to the memory of her capture by Locke. "One of the soldiers belonging to Robb Stark's bannermen captured us. They were frequently patrolling the Riverlands ever since they were aware that Ser Jaime had escaped."

Jaime flinched as he heard Dimeria use a title for him again. When had she decided to do that?

"We were taken to Harrenhal and from there, Lord Bolton released us, although I'm not sure what the reasoning behind his decision was." Dimera said.

Joffrey nodded his head as he made approving sounds from the throne. "So you released my Uncle Jaime, saved him really...we thank you greatly for that…" He said.

Dimeria allowed herself to relax a little; she hadn't angered them to the point where they would want her head on a spike, so that was fortunate. Jaime still stood at her shoulder, hovering over her protectively, though Dimeria didn't know why; hadn't he just abandoned her earlier?

"Yes, my Lady Dimeria, I'm sure we're all grateful. Perhaps grateful enough to offer you what you were seeking when you decided to come to our...humble home." The bald-headed man suddenly spoke. Varys was his name, Dimeria later discovered; the eunuch Jaime must have told her about many months ago.

"Perhaps…" Tywin mused. "What are you seeking here in King's Landing, Lady Dimeria?"

Dimeria cringed at being called a lady, but thought better of correcting Tywin Lannister. "Simply information. I was hoping to get some clue as to who my parents are. I figured the Capital of the kingdoms might have some sort of information. And I was once told that I was a southern-born, though apparently I wasn't supposed to know that information."

"You're a bastard child?" Joffrey asked.

"I am, Your Grace." Dimeria admitted. "I hope that my presence does not offend you."

"No, no...quite the opposite. I'm quite impressed that you're not as...dense as other bastards. I, too, am quite interested to find out who your parents are."

"As am I."

Surprisingly, the voice came from Cersei Lannister; who was still eyeing Dimeria like a she was some sort of science experiment. She leaned over to her son sitting in her chair and spoke to him, though she never looked away from Dimeria.

"Perhaps we could offer her stay here in the castle, Your Grace. After all, she did save one of our own, we shouldn't treat her like some gutter rat. And maybe, when she proves herself, she could earn a position at court."

Jaime thought his jaw would fall off. Was his sister actually taking a liking to Dimeria? He looked down at Dimeria and saw that she, too, was rather taken aback by the sudden special treatment she was receiving.

"Yes…" Joffrey said. "Yes! Lady Dimeria, we would be honored to assist you in finding your parents and until then, you are more than welcome to be our guest." Had Dimeria not been so shocked, she would have sneered at the reptilian smile Joffrey was sending her way. "Uncle Jaime! You've been gone for quite a while, but I'm sure you remember how everything works; show our guest to her rooms, please."

Joffrey pranced out of the throne room like the arrogant little prick he was, while everyone else hovered around for a few moments, taking as many glances at their new guest as they could.

"My Lady, I hope you find what you're looking for here in King's Landing." Lord Varys came up to her, limply grasping her hand as she stood up. "I would be more than happy to escort you to your chambers. I'm sure Ser Jaime wants to get cleaned up and rested after the journey you two have been on."

"Thank you, Lord Varys. You are always one to help, aren't you?" Jaime said suspiciously.

"Just doing what I can for the kingdom." Varys said easily.

Jaime narrowed his eyes, but let the matter pass. "I'll be by to see how you're...settling in later." He said, turning to Dimeria.

"Don't rush." She muttered to his back.

"Shall we?" Varys said, offering his arm.

Dimeria smiled and took it, not seeing the problem in letting him escort her, though she was still slightly wary of him. He walked her down the winding hallways, stopping every so often to help her memorize her way around. It was a long way from the throne room, but she supposed she would get the hang of it soon enough. As he opened the door to her chambers, she walked in slowly, taking in the large room with every detail.

"Will this do?" Lord Varys asked her.

"Uh, yes...I believe so." Dimeria said, stunned at the lavish living space she now acquired.

Lord Varys stepped into the room, looking like he was surveying the room with Dimeria, though he was actually watching her. "You know, you're very well behaved; quite different from what I've heard about you."

Dimeria spun to face him. "And what exactly have you heard about me, Lord Varys?"

"Oh, not as much as one would hope, but my little birds tell me that you're quite the feisty one. Not usually able to hold your tongue or control your anger."

Dimeria bit her lip. She knew what Lord Varys was doing; he was trying to test her, to see how smart or foolish she truly was.

"I've heard quite a bit about you, Lord Varys." Dimeria told him.

"I'm sure you have." Lord Varys smiled.

"People say that you have spies everywhere; always watching and reporting back to you. They say that you have information on everyone and that you're not to be trusted."

"And what do you say about that?" Lord Varys asked her.

"I think it's mostly true; I think you do have spies everywhere, but whether you're to be trusted or not is a different matter."

"Is it?" Varys said. "And do you trust me, Lady Dimeria?"

"I trust what you know. I think I'll leave it up to you to help me decide if I can fully trust you."

Varys chuckled and removed his hands from his long sleeves to grasp Dimeria's hand. "Lady Dimeria, I think you may survive better in King's Landing than anyone thinks." And with that, Lord Varys turned to leave her chambers.

"Lord Varys." Dimeria called him back. "I hope you won't make me regret my decision to trust you or not."

"My dear, if I make anyone regret anything, it'll be more than just a decision."

Dimeria smiled as he left the room. She may not trust Lord Varys, but she sure as hell liked him.

...

Jaime entered her room without knocking a few hours later. A completely different man entered the room as far as Dimeria was concerned; his hair was trimmed much shorter, his unkempt beard had given way to new skin, and he was finally back in his magnificent Kingsguard armor; glinting brightly at every angle where light hit it.

"Well, aren't you all bright and shiny and new." Dimeria said crossly.

Jaime ignored her sour attitude and pressed on. "What the hell happened today? I thought I told you to keep to yourself!"

"I **did** keep to myself. You wouldn't have noticed though since you abandoned me as soon as we got here." Dimeria snapped.

"I did not abandon you!" Jaime denied.

"Oh please, you forgot I was even here!"

"If I had forgotten about you, I wouldn't have gone looking for you."

"You're right. Oh! I'm just so honored to be thought of by the magnificent Ser Jaime! It makes me feel so special that he has a tiny little spot in his heart for me!" Dimeria said sarcastically, sounding like a swooning teenage girl as she clasped her hands over her heart.

"Will you cut it out! And stop calling me that." Jaime demanded.

"I'm not sure what you mean…" Dimeria said innocently.

Jaime wanted to strangle her. "Calling me 'Ser.' I don't think you've ever called anyone 'Ser!'"

"Well, I'm just keeping things formal. I assume that's how things will be from now on."

"And why would you think that?" Jaime asked.

Dimeria sighed; she knew her little game was over, but she enjoyed arguing with Jaime while it had lasted. "Look, I get it; you love your sister and you wanted to see her. Just don't pretend like you're not going to be acting differently around me now." She said curtly.

"I'm not going to act any differently around you." Jaime defended himself.

Dimeria shook her head. "Yes you will. You have a reputation to uphold; you're the Kingslayer here, remember? Not the Jaime Lannister that I know." Dimeria turned her back on him them and looked out her window. "And until you decide to be the man that I know, you'll always act different around me."

Jaime left the room without another word; not because he was angry, but because he knew Dimeria was right.

…

It must have been the favor of the God's, because it never crossed Lord Bolton's mind to execute Tulkas even though he was one of Robb Stark's men. Tulkas supposed it was due to the fact that Bolton hadn't been in the room when he had been fighting the men with the crossbows. Whatever it was, Tulkas made sure to thank whatever greater force that was at work for his luck, or else his head would be on a spike.

Lord Bolton was the Warden of the North now and he decided to be stationed at the Twins for the time being now that Walder Frey was dead. Tulkas had never felt so alone. The Blackfish had escaped and was nowhere to be found; Catelyn Tully had been brutally murdered with a knife across her throat, but before she was killed; she had sent Brienne away with a mission to find her daughters and so she went off in search of the Stark girls. And Edmure Tully had been thrown in the dungeons as soon as the massacre had ended. Almost all the Stark men were dead, save a few of them who had pathetically begged for their lives and were thrown in prison; leaving Tulkas the lone thriving survivor at the Twins.

He was strolling down the dim hallways, not going in any particular direction, but just trying to sort out his dismal thoughts; it wasn't easy being alone. Faint footsteps drew his eyes ahead of him. At first, Tulkas thought he was seeing things; that his depression was taking a much more serious toll on his mind than he thought, but the woman in front of him was very real.

Talisa.

Tulkas figured that she had been killed along with everybody else, yet here she was in front of him as clear as daylight.

"Lady Talisa…" Tulkas said softly.

She startled, obviously not aware of his presence. "Ser Tulkas...I-I assumed everyone was killed." She whispered frantically.

"As did I. I'm not sure Lord Bolton is consciously aware that I'm alive." Tulkas chuckled, though he really didn't feel any humor.

Talisa smiled. "Lord Bolton has kept several handmaidens, replacing some of the ones that were killed and...some of Walder Frey's daughters who were killed in the heat of the battle." She said sadly.

Tulkas looked down at his feet, sadness beginning to overwhelm him. But just seeing Talisa had lifted his spirits; he could trust her...he knew he could.

"Lady Talisa, I was just on my way to the dungeons to pay a visit to Edmure Tully. Would you mind accompanying me? I've found myself missing human interaction these days." Tulkas asked her.

"I would be happy to. I feel the same way." She smiled kindly.

They walked down the winding stairs to the prisoners, their footsteps the only sounds they heard until they reached the cells. Agonized moans echoed through the dark shadows of the dungeons. Tulkas led Talisa through the hallway, constantly passing groaning men who were crouching in their own waste. Tulkas kept his eyes straight, heading for the very last cell; he never meant to pay a visit to Edmure Tully.

"Ser Tulkas? I believe we just passed Lord Edmure…" Talisa said cautiously.

Tulkas ignored her though; he knew exactly where he was going. When they reached their destination, he turned and faced Talisa, a stern expression on his face.

"Lady Talisa, you can't speak of this to anyone, do you understand?"

Talisa nodded almost imperceptibly. Tulkas spun her around to the bars of the last cell, gently pushing her to take a step closer. In the back corner of the cell, was one man; lying in a heap, covered in blood and dirt from head to toe. His curly hair hung in the mud limply as he unconsciously moaned in his sleep. Talisa couldn't believe her eyes.

It was Robb Stark.


	29. Chapter 30

_**A/N: You guys, I'm so sorry for the longer waits. I've been terribly busy and it's hard for me to find the time to post, so thank you to everyone who's sticking with story and to all of my new followers. It means so much to know that you all are still liking this story!**_

_**Thank you for the big response last chapter! I had hoped that the Red Wedding and Robb's fate would get you guys going!**_

* * *

A great feast was to be thrown the next night, celebrating Jaime's return and Dimeria's bravery for bringing him back safely. Dimeria had never been to a royal feast; she hoped that they would be fun like the small gatherings she used to have at Castle Black, but when 2 handmaidens came into her room with a gown that morning, she decided she wasn't looking forward to the celebration.

"I would rather not put it on til later, if you 2 don't mind." Dimeria told the handmaidens.

They looked at each other warily, not really wanting to obey Dimeria's suggestion. "Look, I don't really plan on leaving my room today until the feast, so no one will see me looking like…" She looked down at her trousers and tunic. "...looking like this."

This seemed to satisfy the two girls and they laid the crimson dress on Dimeria's bed. "We'll be back in a few hours before the feast to get you ready, mi'lady." They said.

Dimeria meant to call after them to tell them not to use a highborn title when addressing her, but they left the room quickly. She walked over to her dress and felt the red fabric; it's long sleeves adorned with golden threads swirling throughout the length of it like rivers of sunshine were thick and would probably come down to Dimeria's wrists when she put it on. She sighed and walked away to look out the window; she really hated dresses.

She sat at her window for most of the day; she meant it when she said she didn't plan on leaving her room, Dimeria just wanted to rest. Her room overlooked Blackwater Bay and if she leaned out and looked to her right, she could see a small beach area where the waves lapped over on the sand; Dimeria didn't plan on going down there at all, but she couldn't deny that she enjoyed the view.

A knock sounded at her door and Dimeria almost groaned; there was no way it was time for her to get ready for the feast yet. She walked to the door, ready to open it and yell at the handmaidens, but she got a pleasant surprise.

"Lord Tyrion!" She exclaimed.

He smiled. "Lady Dimeria. May I come in?"

"Of course." She said, moving aside to allow him entrance.

"My lady, I never thought that I would be seeing you in King's Landing." Tyrion said.

"About halfway here I wasn't sure if I would make it." Dimeria said with a smile.

"Well, I'm glad you did." Tyrion forced a grin. Truthfully, Tyrion was absolutely baffled that she had come; and the fact that Jaime was her escort made things even more interesting.

"How was travelling with my brother? Not as enjoyable as my company, I assume." Tyrion joked with her, hiding the uneasiness he felt at Dimeria's presence in King's Landing; he knew how dangerous it was for her to be here.

Dimeria chuckled. "There were times I wanted to strangle him, but you have to work through those moments, I suppose."

"My, have you learned self-control? I must say; you've changed quite a bit from the time I was at Castle Black."

"Desperate times, call for desperate measures." Dimeria said. She had forgotten how much she enjoyed conversing with the imp; it definitely took her mind off of more serious things. "How have you been, Lord Tyrion?" She asked him.

"My lady, I think we're past the point of keeping each other's titles." He said.

"I'll stop calling you Lord if you stop calling me Lady."

"Agreed." Tyrion nodded. "Things have been better, I suppose, but I have my life; and I can't complain about that."

Dimeria nodded and sighed; sometimes she had to remind herself of the very same fact.

"And what about you?" Tyrion asked her. "I heard that you ran into some trouble along the way here."

Dimeria bit her lip before answering. "Yes, we were captured by one of Roose Bolton's men: Locke." She muttered. She hated talking about this, it just reminded her of a dark time in her life. To add to that, Dimeria felt uncomfortable discussing anything that happened between her and Jaime with anyone else. She felt as if the Jaime she knew; was a completely different man from whom he was here; people would probably laugh and call her crazy if she told them some of the things she and Jaime discussed while they were prisoners. Jaime Lannister of the Kingsguard didn't talk about vulnerability, but Jaime Lannister the prisoner allowed himself to be free of the guilt and blame people had bestowed on him when he killed Aerys Targaryen; he let his true self shine.

Tyrion could tell Dimeria was uncomfortable; he wondered what all had happened on her journey, obviously something very personal to her. He gave her a kind smile. "Some things are better forgotten, aren't they?" Tyrion said.

Dimeria knew he understood then. "Yes." She whispered.

"Well, I was just on my way to a Small Council meeting. I thought I'd stop by and see you." Tyrion said. "I should probably get going, or else they might strip me of my 'Master of Coin' title. And what a shame that would be!" His mouth was nearly drooling with sarcasm.

Dimeria laughed and walked him to the door. "I'm sure you would be devastated." She teased him. Before he was out of her room though, she said, "Oh, and congratulations on your marriage." She sounded horribly awkward.

Tyrion's face fell at the mention of his wedding to Sansa Stark.

"My handmaidens were gossiping about it this morning." Dimeria explained herself. Tyrion nodded somberly. "You could've done much worse, I hope you remember that." She said kindly.

"Maybe, but I fear Lady Sansa did marry the worst." Tyrion said sadly.

"I wouldn't say that; and if you don't believe me, just look at who she was formerly betrothed to."

Tyrion gave a little smile. "You're just caught up on all the news of King's Landing, aren't you?"

Dimeria raised her brows. "Handmaidens talk." She then sighed and rubbed a hand over her face. "**A lot.**"

…

The handmaidens were back sooner than Dimeria wanted; truthfully she never wanted them to come back, but she didn't really have a say in the matter. They forcefully tugged the dress onto Dimeria's body, pausing only once to glance at her wounds from the bear.

"You're tying...it...far...too tight." Dimeria struggled to say since all the air was being pushed from her lungs.

"It's meant to be tight, mi'lady. It shows the woman's figure." One of the handmaidens said.

"Tie it any tighter and my figure will become deformed!" Dimeria growled.

The serving girl sighed and laced the rest of her back up, not tightening the gown any further. "If you would have a seat, mi'lady, I can do your hair now." She said.

Dimeria sat, saying, "Don't refer to me as a Lady."

"It's only common courtesy." The girl replied.

"Well, I am not a lady, so I don't necessarily deserve that courtesy."

The 2 handmaidens looked at each other and sighed once more; Dimeria could tell they had probably never served someone so far from being a lady before and they definitely didn't like it. They worked past their annoyance though, and began fixing Dimeria's hair in a southern style. Dimeria had seen several other women wearing their hair this way, but she couldn't help but widen her eyes at how ridiculous it looked.

"Take it down." She ordered them. "I don't like it."

"But this is how all the southern ladies wear it!" The two handmaidens told her.

"And I am not a southern lady! Take. It. Out."

Absolutely flustered and irritated, the girls took down her hair and put it in a simple style; pinning half of it back by braiding it and letting the rest fall down her back like a waterfall. Dimeria's white strand of hair wove intricately through the braid and she sighed in relief at how much better she looked now.

"If that'll be all, we'll be on our way now." One of the handmaidens said.

"Trust me, I don't want you here any longer than you have to be. Leave." Dimeria said rudely, but she didn't care.

Both of the handmaidens twitched out of her room, wondering to themselves how such an unmannered girl had managed to work her way into King's Landing. Dimeria stood gazing in the mirror, rubbing her dress as if it had creases, though it was simply perfect; she just wasn't used to it. When she heard a knocking on the door, she almost thought about grabbing something to throw at the handmaidens, but she decided against it. She swung the door open and couldn't tell if she was relieved or disappointed that it was Jaime and not the handmaidens.

"What are you doing here?" Dimeria snapped at him.

Jaime took a moment before answering, absorbing Dimeria's new appearance in front of him. He mentally shook himself and said, "I'm your escort to the feast."

Dimeria scrunched her nose. "Why do I need an escort? I can walk perfectly fine by myself."

"That's how highborn feasts work." Jaime sighed.

"I'm not a highborn lady."

"Yes, but you are one of the honored guests, seeing as you saved my life and brought me home. Now come on." He said offering Dimeria his arm.

She took it begrudgingly and began walking down to the feast arm in arm. Jaime felt rather awkward, though he suspected Dimeria liked the silence since she was still annoyed with him. He tried making conversation anyway.

"Lannister Red looks nice on you." He told her.

"Why? Because it's **Lannister** red, or just because it looks nice?" Dimeria said curtly.

"You could just take the compliment."

Dimeria sighed and closed her eyes. "Thank you."

"There, was that so difficult, little warrior?"

"Yes." She said without missing a beat.

Jaime shook his head at her. "If anything's difficult, it's you."

"If I'm so difficult, then why are you escorting me?" She snapped.

"Seven hells, how long are you going to keep this up?!" Jaime exclaimed angrily.

"I could ask you the same thing!" Dimeria said, yanking her arm away from his. "You're the one pretending here, not me."

Jaime clenched his jaw and grabbed Dimeria's arm again. "We don't have time for this, let's go."

Dimeria didn't resist, but she kept her body tense the entire time. Jaime's heart pounded in his chest, they hadn't fought like this for so long. Why start now? What Jaime truly hated though, was the fact that Dimeria was right; he was trying uphold a reputation he really didn't even want...why?

They came upon the feast, by being announced by the King himself.

"Ah! There they are! My Uncle Jaime and our brave guest, Dimeria!"

The gathered crowd erupted into applause as Jaime and Dimeria walked to the royal table; Dimeria forcing a pleased smile onto her face, and Jaime trying to ignore the stares he was receiving from those who didn't trust him. As soon as Dimeria was seated at the table, Jaime left her, taking a spot against a far wall to watch for any inappropriate behavior.

Dimeria was sat next to Tyrion who was already pouring his third glass of wine. He didn't pay much attention to Dimeria, he was far too deep in his own thoughts to acknowledge her. Dimeria sat down to a large plate of food and, much to her surprise, ate most of it; she couldn't remember the last time she had such an extravagant meal. By the time she was done, people had gotten up to start dancing to the music being played. Drunk Lords were becoming more adventurous with their attempts to woo any girl that came near them; grabbing their backsides and taking prolonged glances at their breasts. Dimeria began thinking she was lucky for being able to sit at the royal table far too soon, because King Joffrey then came up to her saying he wanted to introduce her some, "very important people."

"You were never introduced to him properly yesterday; this is my grandfather and Hand of the King, Tywin Lannister." Joffrey said.

"It's an honor to meet you, my Lord." Dimeria said.

Tywin nodded respectfully and said, "I thank you for bringing my son home in one piece. We are indebted to you."

"Your son already paid his debt by bringing me here." Dimeria said, forcing a smile.

"If my son has learned anything, it's that you can never repay someone for your life." Tywin said, sparks flying in his angry eyes. "Unless of course you give them their own life back."

_He did save my life…_ Dimeria thought, but she wouldn't say that here, not to anyone in King's Landing and especially not Tywin Lannister. She only nodded in response and forced herself not to roll her eyes as Joffrey continued introducing her to people.

"This is my betrothed, Lady Margaery Tyrell." He said.

"It's such an honor to meet you, Lady Dimeria. Your bravery is so admirable." Margaery said.

Dimeria wasn't sure she had ever met someone who smiled so much. "The honor is all mine, Lady Margaery." Dimeria said, trying not to sound so awkward; she wasn't used to speaking so formally.

"If you're able to, I would love to have tea with you tomorrow in the rose gardens. You can meet my grandmother. I'm afraid she wasn't able to make it tonight, or else you'd be speaking with her now."

"It would be my pleasure." Dimeria said. She couldn't deny that her interest was picqued, she had never had tea before.

Lady Margaery's attention suddenly went behind Dimeria. "Oh, this is my brother, Ser Loras." She said pointing over Dimeria's shoulder. "Loras, come here, would you? I'd like you to meet someone."

Loras gracefully strode over to them, his curly locks ever so slightly brushing his eyes. "Lady Dimeria." He said, taking her hand and placing a kiss on it. "Everyone has been talking about you lately. You're the most interesting topic in King's Landing right now, and I mean that respectfully."

"I didn't think a bastard girl would be so interesting among such...highborn citizens." Dimeria said uncomfortably.

"Well you're not just a bastard girl now, you're a hero." Margaery said, taking Dimeria's arm since Joffrey had vacated after growing bored with the conversation.

They began walking through the crowd; Margaery introducing Dimeria to almost everyone she knew, and Dimeria placing a smile on her face for so long that she feared it would never go away. Dimeria was surprised though, she didn't think a soon-to-be queen would be so acquainted with those who weren't Royal; but she seemed to know almost everyone at the feast.

"I hope you don't mind," Margaery said, "but I think His Grace is asking for my presence. Will I see you tomorrow for tea?" She asked Dimeria.

"Yes, of course." Dimeria said.

"Wonderful! I'll send someone over to escort you." With one last large smile, Margaery left Dimeria in the dancing crowd.

Moving bodies pushed past her, leaving Dimeria disoriented and not sure where to go next. A hand pressed up against her bottom, making her jump in surprise, but mostly irritation. An ugly man, not one that Margaery had introduced her to, began eyeing Dimeria like a piece of meat, ready to grab her at any moment. She slapped his hand away, making him slur something incomprehensible; Dimeria assumed it had something to do with him wanting to take her home with him, but she didn't care to find out. She turned to walk away again, but he was persistent and grabbed her waist, hauling her back to him so close that she could smell his wine-stained breath.

"Take your hands off me!" She growled at him, but before he could object, he was yanked away by his shoulder.

Jaime appeared in his place, shoving the drunken man out of the crowd to land on his face. Dimeria frowned at Jaime when he turned back around to face her.

"I don't need you to save me." She told him.

He shrugged. "It's my job."

"Of course it is." She turned away from and began walking out of the crowd.

"Dimeria!" Jaime called after her, but he stopped, realizing the attempt was futile; Dimeria wouldn't talk to him unless she wanted to.

Desperate to escape the dancing idiots, Dimeria wandered up to the higher level of the throne room. It overlooked the crowd like a balcony, and also had windows giving view to the outside world of King's Landing. She rested her arms against the window, closing her eyes and reveling in the breeze coming off Blackwater Bay.

Dimeria wanted to leave, but she had a feeling that if she were the first to exit, she would insult the royal family. She hoped that they wouldn't be too disgraced by the fact that she wasn't joining the jovial party down below. Fairly soon, the music and laughter downstairs faded to a nonsensical blur as Dimeria focused on the breeze hitting her face. The stench startled Dimeria at first, but she found that she was quickly adjusting to the customary smell of the city.

"Up here by yourself, what, do you not like celebrations?" A voice asked her.

Dimeria really wasn't even thinking when she replied. "The celebrations are fine; it's the people I have a problem with."

"Yes, they can be quite a nuisance sometimes." The voice said distastefully; it clearly belonged to a woman.

"That's a nice way of putting it." Dimeria said with a tilt of her head. She turned to look at who she was conversing with and felt her eyes widen. Cersei Lannister lounged against the wall behind her, a glass of wine in her hand as she overlooked the intoxicated crowd down below.

"I suppose it is too nice, most of the time I'd rather have those idiots down there thrown in the dungeons." Cersei said maliciously. She sighed then and turned her head over her shoulder to look at Dimeria. "Of course, I'm not supposed to say that aloud being Queen Regent and all."

"I always thought that Kings and Queens were allowed to say whatever they wanted." Dimeria said, joining Cersei against the ledge to watch the feast.

"Oh, they can, but it always seems to come with a price." Cersei narrowed her eyes.

Dimeria thought about it for a moment, her gaze on the dancing people blurring as she focused her mind on the conversation. "I suppose that's how all things in life are; everything has a consequence." She snickered then and looked at Cersei. "Unless you know how to get away with it."

That surprisingly brought a smile to Cersei's face and she turned towards Dimeria, raising her wine glass. "Well then here's to getting away with it." She drained her wine and began watching the crowd below again.

Dimeria felt herself relax a little bit; talking to the Queen didn't seem so terrible, they actually seemed to be getting along. "Your Grace, I was expecting to see Sansa Stark here tonight…"

"Ah, it seems Lady Sansa has been overcome with some sort of sickness. She didn't feel well enough to come tonight." Cersei spoke quickly, showing her obvious dislike for the Stark girl.

Disappointment prickled Dimeria's mind; she had been hoping to speak with Robb Stark's sister, maybe if she got along with Sansa, she would feel some sort of closure about her situation with Robb himself. It was a long shot, but she didn't see the harm in trying, even if Sansa ended up hating Dimeria, it wouldn't really bother the dark-haired bastard.

"How has your stay been so far in King's Landing?" Cersei asked. The question, although quite simple, seemed forced from Cersei's mouth, as if she hated making mindless conversation.

Dimeria shrugged. "Nice, I suppose. Although I've had way too many visits from those handmaidens than I can stand. Do they all gossip, or is it just mine?"

Once again, Cersei found herself laughing at Dimeria's comment; the Queen couldn't remember the last time she had laughed at something so simple instead of finding humor in other people's pain. "They all start out that way, but eventually you can train them to keep their annoying little mouths shut whenever they're around you." Cersei grinned evilly.

"I'll have to do that right away." Dimeria said with exasperation.

They continued on like that for the rest of the night; watching drunk people make fools of themselves in front of everyone. They were lucky since most people wouldn't remember the ridiculous behavior, but Cersei and Dimeria were having an enjoyable time making fun of them.

Jaime watched them disbelievingly; he never thought Dimeria and his sister would get along so well; it was strange watching Cersei enjoy someone's company that wasn't his own or her children. By now, Jaime had sat down at a table hoping to revel in his own feast, but the strange behavior of Dimeria and Cersei had driven the appetite right out of him.

"What are you doing, brother?" Tyrion asked Jaime. "This is your feast, how can you look so sullen?"

Jaime didn't answer his brother directly, but only gestured up to the balcony where their sister and Dimeria were chatting the night away.

Tyrion nearly spit out his wine. "Well that is quite the sight. Is Cersei actually smiling?" He scoffed.

"She has been most of the time…" Jaime said, dumbfounded.

"Hm, well it looks like our dear sister has found a new best friend."

It was Jaime's turn to scoff now. "You and I both know Cersei; and I know Dimeria, they don't have best friends."

"Yes, and that's why they've found each other now." Tyrion pointed out. "Does their relationship upset you?" He prodded Jaime.

"Why has she suddenly taken an interest in her?" Jaime asked.

"I don't know, maybe Cersei plans on making our dear Dimeria one of her evil minions."

Jaime shook his head. "No, Dimeria's not that stupid."

Tyrion stared at Jaime then, not hiding the calculating look on his scarred face. Jaime tried to ignore it at first, but he was like a whining dog, begging for attention. "What are you staring at?" He snapped at Tyrion.

"That's high praise coming from you." Tyrion said. "It seems you've taken a rather strong liking to Dimeria." Tyrion grinned mischieviously.

Jaime shook his head in an effort to deny Tyrion's claim, but he just couldn't find it within himself to do so. He wanted to change the topic and he knew he had to do it quickly, or else Tyrion would continue making speculations about his feelings toward Dimeria; it was a trait that ran in the family.

"Where is your new wife, Tyrion? Couldn't make it to her new brother-in-law's celebration?" Jaime asked, diverting Tyrion's thoughts.

His question instantly darkened the mood. "Lady Sansa is not doing well."

"Hm, has she decided that the marriage life isn't all she thought it would be?" Jaime asked sarcastically.

"No life would be fun if you just found out that your brother and mother have been brutally murdered." Tyrion said.

That snapped Jaime out of his playful teasing right away. "What?"

"Robb and Catelyn Stark are dead; killed under Walder Frey's roof during Edmure Tully's wedding. Roose Bolton made the killing blow...he betrayed Robb Stark." Tyrion said, biting back his malice. He didn't particularly like Robb, but he was Stark: a good man and very honorable. To be betrayed and assaulted at a wedding and then to watch everyone you had ever known be killed by a man you thought you could trust...no one deserved such a fate. And Catelyn. She was fierce, brave, and loved her children more than anything in the world; Tyrion couldn't imagine the pain she must have felt to see her eldest son being taken from the world. Tyrion almost thought it was better she was dead; Catelyn wouldn't have wanted to live after seeing that happen.

Jaime groaned and rubbed a hand over his face. Sure, the Stark boy had captured him, but that's exactly what he was: a boy! It wasn't his time to die.

"Why would Walder Frey kill the Starks?" Jaime asked.

"Take one guess. Has plenty of money, always pays his debts…" Tyrion said bitterly.

Jaime closed his eyes in dismay. "Father actually paid Walder Frey to murder them."

He wished he could say he didn't believe it, but this was exactly something his father would do; he wasn't surprised. Jaime grabbed a cup and filled it with wine, draining it in one gulp.

This was not going to sit well with Dimeria.

…

But what only 2 people knew, was that Robb Stark was not dead; he was very much alive, just sitting in a cell at The Twins. The day after Tulkas had shown his secret to Talisa, they met in private, taking a walk through the fallen leaves in the woods.

"How did this happen?" Talisa asked him. "Everyone believes him to be dead."

"When the massacre first started, I don't believe Roose Bolton was in the room; he had fled right away it seemed. I, along with several others, knew of the suspicious behavior of Bolton, so when they first attacked, we weren't quite as unprepared as they had hoped."

Tulkas told Talisa of the fighting and how he had to fight off the men with crossbows in order to save Robb from being shot down. He explained how Brienne, The Blackfish, and Robb all knew something was going to happen; Tulkas also mentioned the one guard that had released Grey Wind during the fight, which allowed the direwolf to kill Walder Frey.

"We fought back, but there were just so many of them. When Robb fell to the ground, his mother just seemed to lose all hope and was overtaken by the massive crowd; in the heat of everything, I managed to overhear Lady Catelyn tell Brienne to find her daughters; and so Brienne fled the scene. After that, Lady Catelyn was killed."

Tulkas shook his head. "The Blackfish escaped, but I don't know where he is; no one has heard from him since that night."

"But, I don't understand." Talisa said with confusion. "Robb Stark...he...he's dead, or was, I don't know-" She stuttered over her words. "I saw Bolton's men, they paraded his dead body around the camp; they mutilated it and...and they put his wolf's head on his body."

The horror in her voice saddened Tulkas deeply, he hadn't seen the sight and he was glad; he didn't know what he would have done if he had seen the ugly things Bolton's men had done.

"I had finally killed all of the men with crossbows, but the last man got one last shot off, hitting Robb again. When he fell to the ground, Grey Wind defended his body, biting and viciously clawing any man who came near. He bit a man's face off, leaving him unrecognizable and...that's when I got the idea."

Tulkas was taken back to his deciding moment, the moment where he saved Robb Stark's life.

"I'm not sure how I did it, but I made my way to Robb's body, he was unconscious at the time; and I dragged him away. There are stairs at the back of the throne room, leading deeper into the castle; I saw Walder Frey's daughters escape back there. I removed Robb's bloody cloak, put it on the man that Grey Wind had mangled, and dragged the King out of the room before anyone could see me."

"You let the man that Grey Wind had disfigured pass as Robb?" Talisa asked in disbelief.

"When I heard what they had done to the man's body, I was nearly overcome with sickness, but I was sobered up when I told myself that at least I had saved Robb from that same fate." Tulkas said sadly.

"But, why did you put Robb in the dungeons?"

"If I had taken him to one of the rooms or a maester, they would have recognized him immediately. Walder Frey is dead, the cells are filled with other prisoners...they won't think to find him there." Tulkas explained. "I tended to his wounds myself. He's weak and in no condition to try to escape, but he's alive. And I'm determined to keep him that way."

Tulkas stopped in his tracks, making Talisa pause too. He looked her dead in the eye and said, "And I'm hoping you'll help me do that."

Talisa didn't even need a moment to consider it. She nodded her head firmly, ready to keep her King alive.

* * *

_**Again, thank you everyone for the continued dedication to this story! It means the world to me! **_

_**If you wouldn't mind, I hope some of you will tell me how I'm writing some of the new characters (Cersei, Joffrey, etc...) It'd be a great help. Let me know what you thought of this chapter!**_

_**Until next time...**_


	30. Chapter 31

_**A/N: Chapter 30 is here! Wow, can't believe I have 30 chapters already...**_

_**So sorry for the long wait, AGAIN. Hopefully I'll be able to find some more time within the next week or so. Thank you to all the reviews and follows; the continued support from you guys is astounding!**_

* * *

Dimeria was anxious to get tea with the Tyrells over with. As soon as she was finished chatting idly with them, she planned on starting her search of who her parents were. Her handmaidens brought in a new gown for the day; much less extravagant than the one she had worn the night before, but still just as uncomfortable. Dimeria took Cersei's suggestion and tried "training" the 2 girls to not talk so much in her presence. She eventually had to flat out tell them to shut up.

Dressed and ready to go, Dimeria waited for the escort Lady Margaery planned on sending to her. Soft tapping caught her attention finally.

"It's about time." She muttered under her breath.

"Lord Varys…" Dimeria said once she opened the door. "I thought you were a member of the Small Council, not an escort for the Tyrells."

"Yes, but I just finished having a word with Lady Olenna. She said she was going to be having tea with you, so I offered to bring you over." Varys explained. "Shall we?"

Not seeing any other option, Dimeria grasped his outstretched arm and allowed him to guide her to the rose gardens for tea.

"My little birds tell me you were quite the charmer last night. Everybody wants to get to know the mysterious woman that brought home the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard." Varys said once they got outside.

Dimeria smiled uncomfortably. "I'm glad I was able to please them. I must say that I was a little nervous...I didn't want to...anger the royal family."

"No, no...far from it really. They're quite enthralled by you."

Dimeria was happy to hear that the Lannisters didn't want to kill her; that meant she could look for her parents in peace.

"Although, their interest will fade." Varys continued unexpectedly. "Eventually you will become just another boring piece in their lives."

His words caught Dimeria off guard and she shifted her arm awkwardly that was still in his grasp.

"You will need to do more than pique their interest in order to survive in King's Landing." Varys said.

Dimeria stopped in her tracks. "Why are you saying this?"

Varys shrugged and pursed his lips. "I don't know, perhaps you've caught my attention just like everyone else. Maybe I'd like to get my own taste of the mysterious bastard girl." He began walking again, knowing that she would follow close behind.

Dimeria snorted and shook her head. "You seem like an honest man, Lord Varys." She said. "You may be sly...and tricky, but I don't think you would lie. Or else you would already be a dead man here in King's Landing."

Varys smiled a very strange smile. "I'm impressed, Lady Dimeria. You're a very observant young woman." He said. "You're right, I do not lie. I simply tell certain truths...at certain times."

"Alright, Lord Varys. Tell me a 'certain' truth." Dimeria challenged him.

"Well, as you said before, I am an honest man. I wasn't lying when I said you've caught my attention. I, too, want a more exclusive look at the unknown bastard come to King's Landing; and I can't do that if you go and die on me, can I?" Varys said cryptically.

"So…" Dimeria contemplated his words. "How can I stop myself from dying?" She asked him.

"You've got the Lannisters' favor for now; it isn't going to last forever. You need to gain their trust, become one of them."

"Become a Lannister?" Dimeria scoffed. "I don't think that will happen anytime soon."

"Oh, my dear. I wouldn't have expected you to take my words so literally." He stopped just in front of a gazebo surrounded by bushes and hedges with blossoming roses and all sorts of different flowers. "I believe this is where we part ways. My Lady…" He grabbed Dimeria's hand and placed a kiss on the back of it. "It's been a pleasure, like always."

Dimeria watched his retreating bald hald, not walking into the gazebo until it disappeared among the garden. Her entire time drinking tea with the Tyrells was spent wondering what on earth Varys could have meant.

…

"I saw you and Dimeria talking last night." Jaime spoke to Cersei.

She didn't respond.

"I would ask if you threatened her life, but you actually seemed to be enjoying your time with her."

Cersei stopped what she was doing to lazily glance over at Jaime. "And?" She asked.

Jaime stopped dancing around the subject. "Why have you taken such an interest in her?"

She shrugged and walked over to a window in her chambers. "She's an interesting girl...is it so wrong for me to speak with her?"

"You and I both know you don't talk to anyone without some hidden agenda."

Cersei rolled her eyes. "I wanted to see what she was like."

"And?" Jaime asked, sounding just like his sister had moments ago.

"I can see why you're so obsessed with her. It's strange, but her ignorance has a sort of...charm to it." Cersei said, though the act of saying that she actually didn't hate someone struggled to come out of her mouth.

"Obsessed?" Jaime sneered. "I'm not obsessed with Dimeria."

"Is that so? Funny, she calls you Ser Jaime and you refer to her by her first name, not a proper title." Cersei pointed out.

Jaime clenched his fists. "She's said it herself; she's not a highborn lady. She's a bastard."

Cersei snickered and turned to face her brother. She remembered when looking at him made her anxious and excited all at the same time, now when she looked at him all she felt was disappointment and boredom.

"Why did Dimeria release you?" Cersei asked him.

Jaime furrowed his brows in confusion. Dimeria had gone over this with the entire Small Council when they had first arrived. "She released me because she knew I could get her to King's Landing."

"You didn't have to. You could've killed the girl as soon as you were free, why didn't you?"

"I owed her a debt." Jaime said sternly.

"Did you? Or perhaps you just couldn't bear to lose her company." Cersei accused him.

Jaime took a step towards his sister, irritation shining in his eyes. "I came back to you. I came back to King's Landing, **for you.**" He insisted.

"Oh, but didn't you just say you owed her a debt? Were you actually thinking of me at all?"

"Who cares that she was with me? The situation benefitted both of us at the time!" Jaime argued.

"I think you care. More than you want to admit." Cersei said, remaining quite calm throughout the entire conversation.

"What are you getting at here? Why are you doing this?" Jaime asked her.

Cersei turned her back and walked away from him. "Perhaps you shouldn't have come back at all."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Jaime snapped.

"You spent too much time with her. You took too long."

…

Cersei and Dimeria were both irritated with Jaime.

_Wonderful…_ He thought to himself._ If they become any closer, they'll plan to have me killed._

He shook his head; and with the news he had to tell Dimeria, she would probably never speak to him again. Jaime didn't feel as if he had any other options though. He could just avoid the conversation with Dimeria and let her find out on her own, but he knew that would just end up making her angrier with him.

No, Jaime just needed to get it over with; a short burst of anger from Dimeria was much safer than a prolonged grudge from her; and hopefully the gift he had chosen for her would be enough to calm her down. He shifted the present from hand to hand; anxious to find out how Dimeria would react.

Dimeria's quarters were well away from most of the other people in the castle; Jaime was thankful for this, he didn't want anyone snooping around her all the time. For some reason, he felt very protective of her.

He knocked on her door and walked in without waiting for an answer. In her room, Jaime saw Dimeria sitting criss-cross on her bed, weighing her dragon eggs in each hand. Right there, just out in the open, Dimeria had her dragon eggs for everyone to see.

She jerked her head up at Jaime's entrance and at the exact same time, they both yelled at each other:

"What the hell are you doing?!"

"This is **my** room, it shouldn't matter what I do!" Dimeria shouted at Jaime.

"Will you put those away?! You can't have those out in the open here!" Jaime commanded. He ran back to the door to slam it shut, then proceeded to lock it so no one would enter.

"Seven hells, what's the problem, Lannister? I really doubt anyone's going to take them from me, right here, in my own chambers."

_People stealing them isn't my concern anymore…_ Jaime thought.

"Just...keep them hidden. I need to talk to you anyway." He said, calming down and moving to sit on her bed.

Dimeria shifted over to give him room, though she really didn't feel like talking to him. "What's that?" She asked, nodding at Jaime's gift.

He stared at it for a second; almost forgetting he even had it. Jaime hesitated. Here he was, about to tell Dimeria that Robb Stark was dead by his father's command; and he was giving her a brand new sword? Gods, he might as well just jump out the window right now! It might be safer than facing Dimeria with a blade.

"Uh…" Jaime said awkwardly. "It's a gift. I had it made the night we got here. It was just finished to today." He said, handing the blade to Dimeria.

"Wow…" Dimeria said breathlessly. "They work quickly."

"Blacksmiths tend to get things done fast when the Kingslayer asks them to make something." Jaime chuckled.

Dimeria didn't respond; she hated it when Jaime referred to himself as the Kingslayer, so she just gazed at her new blade for a while longer. The steel was much better than any she had seen at Castle Black; it shined brightly and reflected her face clearer than still water. The handle was extremely intricate, with golden swirls adorning it; and right in the center of the handle was a large sapphire.

"Why the sapphire?" She asked Jaime curiously.

"People describe your eyes like that...they say your eyes are deeper than an ocean of sapphires." He said seriously.

Jaime furrowed his brows at his comment then. Where the hell had that come from? He flicked his eyes to Dimeria and was glad to see she didn't seem all that fazed by the compliment, for she was still entranced by the sword.

"Thank you." She whispered softly.

He cleared his throat uncomfortably. "No problem." Jaime said quickly. He allowed Dimeria a few more moments to admire her gift, but he knew he had to get to business. "Dimeria, we really do need to talk."

Dimeria's muscles tensed back up again as she focused on Jaime once more. It was rare moments like that, where she was relaxed and distracted that she realized she was **always** tense; she assumed it was due to the fact that she always wanted to be ready for anything, no matter what it was.

She laid the blade down beside her on the bed. "Look, if this is about all the arguing yesterday, then-"

"It's not that." Jaime interrupted.

Dimeria raised a brow questioningly. Jaime sighed and forced himself to look her in the eye. "It's about Robb Stark. He's dead."

Nothing happened.

Dimeria sat there like a statue, staring at Jaime for what felt like hours, but what was really just a couple of minutes. Then it all just seemed to hit her. A heavy weight pressed down on her chest and her throat felt like it was on fire. A painful thumping began in her temples and she had to look away from Jaime.

"Then...I guess the war is over, isn't it?" She asked softly.

"So I've been told." Jaime replied.

The only thing Jaime had expected when he told Dimeria the news was anger, but this was far from it. Her muscles were tight and her jaw was set firmly; she was clearly forcing herself to keep everything together. She opened and closed her mouth several times, struggling to come to terms with what was happening.

"Wh-what...happened?" Dimeria asked.

This was what Jaime had been dreading. "He was murdered at his uncle's wedding. He was attacked at Walder Frey's home, and ultimately killed by Roose Bolton."

Dimeria shifted on the bed and sat up straighter. She bit down on her lip so hard that Jaime feared she would draw blood. Anger flashed across her face as Jaime mentioned Roose Bolton, but still...she said nothing. Jaime was truly surprised; he had fully expected Dimeria to completely lose it by now, but she was restraining herself. He studied her closely and finally came to the realization that this was what Dimeria did when something truly and deeply hurt her: she stayed quiet.

Finally, she spoke again. "Why?" Though this time, traces of her anger and sorrow seeped through.

"My-" Jaime sighed and collected himself. "My father paid Walder Frey to set him up."

Dimeria closed her eyes and stood from the bed, walking towards the window. She wanted to scream in anger; she wanted to yell so loud that Walder Frey and Roose Bolton would hear her and fear for their lives, but she also wanted to just break down and cry; she wanted to sob her heart out for Robb, yet Dimeria did none of this; she just stood at the window and stared blankly out over Blackwater Bay.

She would never see him again. She would never look into his blue eyes and secretly laugh at how messy his curly hair was. She would never hear his kind voice telling her how much he cared for her; that he would wait a thousand years for her. She would never feel his soft lips on her own again; never feel the love he gave to her, but was never able to give back to him. She would never be able to apologize for the pain she must have put him through when she just dropped everything and left. She would never be able to mend his heart, just like no one ever seemed to be able to mend hers.

Robb's death was just another stab to her heart; the heart she so desperately wanted to keep guarded after all the blows it had taken. Starting from Aemon and Jeor lying to her, all the way up to almost losing her life when Locke captured her. Dimeria couldn't help but wonder if she could have prevented all of this; if she had just done everything differently, would Robb still be alive?

"This is all my fault…" She whispered.

She spoke so quietly that Jaime almost didn't hear her. "What?" He asked. "Dimeria, this isn't your fault." He said, standing up and joining her at the window. "You weren't there, you-"

"Exactly!" Dimeria said. "I wasn't there...I should've been there…" She said frustratedly.

"If you had been there, you would be dead too." Jaime stated.

Dimeria wasn't listening though. She continued to stare out the window, mumbling to herself that it was her fault. Jaime wouldn't have this, not again. He wouldn't have her blaming herself for something she couldn't have prevented. The last time that happened she almost died and Jaime didn't know what he would do if she were gone. He grabbed her shoulders, ready to scold Dimeria and snap her back to reality, but he stopped.

Tears were silently running down her cheeks.

Jaime had never seen Dimeria cry. Even when she was nearly beaten to death by Locke's men she didn't cry, but now…

He pulled her into a tight embrace, holding her head against his shoulder as her body slightly trembled from her sorrow. Slowly, she began to wrap her arms around his neck, allowing him to hold her close just like he had that night so long ago in the woods as a prisoner. And just like that far away night, Dimeria let his embrace comfort and heal her pain.

…

Varys was right; after news had spread that the King in the North was dead, the attention slipped away from Dimeria. People didn't stare and point at her anymore, which Dimeria did enjoy, but the eunuch's warning unnerved her; she couldn't afford to leave King's Landing.

She was in the library, hoping to find some sort of start to find her parents, but her mind kept worrying about the Lannisters. Jaime and Tyrion never seemed to get bored of her, of course, they were probably the closest things to friends she had in King's Landing; and surprisingly, Cersei invited her for walks or an occasional meal, but they weren't the ones that mattered.

It was Tywin and Joffrey she had to worry about.

Tywin didn't seem to like anyone; he always seemed to have the eternal look of hating the world, while Joffrey was just a prick...a dangerous prick at that. If Dimeria lost their favor, she would probably lose her head.

She sighed and put the book she had been reading back down on the table. With her head in her hands, she tried to block out the world and let herself relax, but the sound of the door opening distracted her. Dimeria looked up to see a redheaded girl walk in, sights obviously set on the chair she was currently occupying.

"I'm sorry, I-" She stuttered nervously.

"You're...Sansa Stark." Dimeria interrupted.

"Yes…" She said, taking a step backwards.

"No, please, my name's Dimeria. I-" Dimeria didn't really know what to say to make Sansa stay with her. "I knew your brother."

"Which one?" Sansa asked.

Dimeria tilted her head. "Two of them, actually. Robb and Jon."

Sansa looked down to her feet, sadness overwhelming her. "Well, it might pain you to know that Robb is-"

"Dead. I know…" Dimeria finished for her. She looked back up to Sansa's teary blue eyes. "Would you sit with me? I've always wanted to meet the rest of Robb and Jon's family."

Although she still looked uncertain, Sansa took the seat across from Dimeria, keeping her eyes down. "You're the...bastard girl that saved Ser Jaime Lannister, aren't you?" She asked timidly.

"I am."

"Are you really from Castle Black?"

"Yes, that's how I met Jon. I was raised there." Dimeria told her.

"And how did you meet Robb?"

Dimeria bit her lip; she was still upset about Robb and found it difficult to speak of her first meeting of him, but she couldn't imagine how hurt Sansa must have felt. "I left Castle Black because I wanted to get to King's Landing. Your brother had scouts searching the area and they captured me. Your brother wouldn't let me leave, thinking I was some sort of spy for the Lannisters. Of course, I proved to him I wasn't and we...uh, we grew to be good friends." Dimeria felt strange telling Sansa that she had a much more personal relationship with her older brother, so she withheld the information.

Sansa stayed quiet, digesting the information and no doubt remembering many other times she had spent with her oldest brother. "Why would you want to come to King's Landing?" She finally spoke.

"I wanted to find out who my parents were...I still do." Dimeria explained.

"Is that what you're doing in here?"

"Yes, I haven't found anything though. And what about you? What are you doing in here?" She asked Sansa.

Sansa sighed and looked away. "I usually go to the Godswood. People think I'm praying, but I only go because no one talks to me there. But, with my family gone, I feel strange going to the same place where they would pray, but not doing it myself." She swallowed before going on. "I figured the library would be the next best place."

"Well, it's only me here and I don't mind at all. You can stay for as long as you like." Dimeria said kindly.

"Thank you."

Sansa and Dimeria sat together for a while; Dimeria continuing to read the book she had found and Sansa dwelling over her horrible life. Eventually Sansa stood and straightened up her skirts saying, "Thank you for allowing me peace and quiet, Lady Dimeria." Sansa said formally. "I'm afraid I must be getting to court now."

The fiery haired girl left the library then; barely able to keep her shoulders straight from the tremendous amount of weight her life had been forced to carry. Dimeria watched her curiously, and still stared in her direction even after she had left the room.

_What the hell is court?_ She asked herself.

…

The more time Dimeria spent in King's Landing, the more thankful she became that she wasn't raised a highborn lady. Court was ridiculous; she just didn't understand it. She had followed Sansa to the throne room so she could find out what was going on; she had hoped it would be something exciting, but she was wrong. Listening to Joffrey exploit his power annoyed Dimeria more than she thought possible, and the fact that everyone let him do it angered her even more. She was standing against the wall, away from the crowd, staring off into space and ignoring everything going on around her.

"This is positively boring, isn't it?"

Dimeria snapped her head up to Cersei. "It's definitely not something I enjoy." She smirked.

"After 19 years you grow used to it." Cersei sighed. "I don't suppose you'd want to sit with me up there? It would make the whole thing much less horrid."

"I can't refuse the Queen, can I?"

"You'd be wise not to." Cersei said.

Dimeria went ahead and walked with Cersei to her seat next to the Iron Throne. Apparently they had taken a break in the affair and many of the people were mulling about the room, finding a good place to stand. Dimeria could feel all of the people moving behind her; an energetic force that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on edge. She looked over her shoulder; someone was pushing their way through, following the path that Cersei and Dimeria were currently walking.

She tried to push her paranoia away; Dimeria was just being stupid. They were about to climb the steps to the throne. She looked behind her once more. There were so many people, all pushing to stand where they wanted, but there seemed to be one person whose head just stuck out to Dimeria. Joffrey called something out; he wanted to get this thing over, but Dimeria didn't hear him. One of the members of the Kingsguard was next to Dimeria then, looking at her dangerously.

"The King said to get in order, stop interrupting."

Dimeria looked back out to the crowd; most of the people had stopped moving, but she couldn't shake the feeling someone had been following her...she just couldn't find them now. She turned back to the guard, ready to make her apologies, when she saw something.

Just behind the guard, a man stood ominously in the shadows, a dagger glinting in his hand. Suddenly, he charged.

Instinct took over like it always did when Dimeria fought. She pushed Cersei well behind her, drew the guard's own sword from his sheath while shoving him out of the way, and stabbed the man right through the stomach. His dagger fell to the ground, while his lifeblood gurgled out of his mouth and down his dirty chin.

A shriek sounded from the crowd down below at the sudden action. Dimeria spun around quickly and just in time too, for the man that had been following her appeared out of the crowd, wielding his own dagger and charging at the Queen. Dimeria brought the sword up in time to deflect his blade away from Cersei. The sword she had grabbed was heavy and was already wearing her arms out, but using all of her might, she swung it back around to hit the dagger and knock it out of his hand; she then kicked him in the gut, knocking him down the steps. The assassin was up in a second though, sprinting back up the steps and towards Cersei once more; he was obviously intent on killing someone of the royal family. Dimeria wasn't sure if she could pick up the sword to make a life-ending blow, but she tried anyway. She heaved it up, feeling like the same little girl she was when she first tried to handle a real sword, and cut the man across the belly. He fell to his knees, clutching his stomach in agonizing pain. Within seconds the man's stomach contents were spilled on the floor; the entire throne room was stunned to silence except for the guards that were escorting away all the royal family members.

Dimeria dropped the bloodstained sword in shock as she stared at the two dead men in front of her. Bile was starting to rise up in her throat and her hands were sweating. She shook her head.

No. She wouldn't let herself do this again; she had to kill those men, she shouldn't feel guilty.

"Come on, little warrior."

Dimeria felt Jaime's reassuring hand on her elbow, guiding her out of the throne room into a back hallway where Joffrey, Cersei, and Tywin were gathered.

"I want a Small Council meeting, **now!**" Tywin's booming voice commanded.

He walked out of the space, headed straight for the Tower of Hand where they held the meetings. Cersei and Joffrey followed close behind; Joffrey's incessant whining echoing all the way back to Jaime and Dimeria.

"They're going to request your presence soon enough. I suggest you and I should go with them." Jaime said.

Dimeria nodded and followed Jaime to the meeting.

_Shit._ She thought to herself._ I'm definitely going to lose my head now._

* * *

**_Dimeria always gets herself into trouble :)_**

**_Please, please let me know what you think of this chapter and the story so far; I've been loving all the reviews I'm getting!_**

**_Until next time..._**


	31. Chapter 32

_**A/N: Part 31 is here! Sorry for the cliffhanger of last chapter, I've been getting in the habit of doing that lately...woops. **_

_**Thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter: Frozen862, Misskymm, Kaizer-Kid, Guest, Bella-swann11, and a special message to An Echo in Time; thank you so much for your sweet review! I'm glad this story made you feel better, because reading your review just made my day :)**_

* * *

Dimeria waited anxiously outside of the Small Council chamber; they were probably discussing all the ways to have her executed. She didn't understand, who were those two men and why were they attacking the Lannisters?

The door was suddenly opened and Jaime quickly ushered her into the room. There they all sat, staring with judgmental eyes as she strode into the room. She bowed her head to them, trying her hardest to remain passive.

"Lady Dimeria, have a seat." Tywin said from the head of the table.

She nodded and sat at the other end, making herself keep eye contact with Tywin to show she wasn't afraid. His ice-cold eyes pierced her skin, sending chills down her spine. She had to remain passive though, she didn't want these people to feel like they could order her around. The Small Council members all remained silent, including Jaime who stood guarding the door. Dimeria desperately wanted to glance over at Tyrion, or maybe even Cersei since they were the only ones that might bring her some measure of assurance, but she made herself stare back at Tywin. It was a showdown to see who would withdraw first; everyone in the room felt the tension, but they were all either too frightened or smart enough to know not to interrupt.

"You seem to be in the habit of saving the lives of my children." Tywin finally broke the silence.

Dimeria bit her lip to keep the grin of satisfaction from coming to her face; she had won this challenge, but she was still too wary of what had happened to gloat about it publically. She settled for slightly bowing her head to Tywin, and awaited his next words.

"You may have saved the Queen Regent's life directly, but we all give you thanks. No doubt those assassins would have targeted any royal figure in sight." Twyin spoke. His face had relaxed, Dimeria could tell, but he still looked as stern as ever.

"Yes, you've saved all of our lives this day!" Joffrey interrupted. His interest in Dimeria had been renewed when he set sights on her fighting. "I see you're quite skilled with a blade." He noted.

"It was required of me to take up some sort of weaponry at Castle Black." Dimeria explained.

"And we are all grateful for it." Cersei cut in with the smallest hint of a smile.

Jaime furrowed his brows at Cersei's words. He still found it odd that Cersei had taken such a liking to Dimeria, though he was slowly beginning to understand it. Both of them were cold-hearted, untrusting, and very fierce; though their ferocity came in different forms. He still strongly suspected that there some hidden motive in Cersei's mind though; he knew better than to think any of his sister's actions were out of genuine kindness.

Dimeria allowed herself a small sigh of relief. She had been sure that they would have decided to have her executed for showing such violence and brutality in front of everyone; she never really thought about the fact that she had saved everyone's lives.

"We've all discussed it, and we agree that we should put your excellent swordplay to good work." Joffrey said with an eerie smile.

Dimeria glanced over at Tyrion, trying to get some clue as to what Joffrey was talking about, but Tyrion only raised his brows in response.

"After prolonged conversation…" Joffrey said.

_Just spit it out already…_ Dimeria thought.

"We finally came to a conclusion."

_I hope that you'll __**finally**__ tell me what it is…_

"I obviously can't put you in the Kingsguard since you're a woman."

_Sexist prick…_

"But we've decided to make you a guard for the royal family." Joffrey said at last.

_You son of a-wait...what?_ Dimeria snapped her head up straighter, furrowing her brows at the unexpected words.

"You will be training with Ser Jaime to hone your skills from now on." Joffrey continued.

Dimeria sat in a stunned silence; she had never imagined she would end up in a favorable position with the Lannisters, let alone be protecting them. She wrung her hands nervously, popping her knuckles and biting her lip.

"Well if that's all, I have important business to attend to." Joffrey said, getting up from the table.

The Small Council was dismissed, everyone leaving except for Dimeria who was still sitting with confusion. It took Tyrion clearing his throat for Dimeria to actually move, and she got up quietly to walk down the winding hallways silently with the imp.

A personal guard for the Lannisters?

Dimeria wasn't sure what she thought of it. She was a guard for the Night's Watch, but she had never personally guarded one family before, least of all the wealthiest family in all of the kingdoms. She glanced over at Tyrion who hadn't spoken a word to her at all.

"What do you think?" She asked him. He gave her a questioning look. "I'm your new bodyguard…" Dimeria said, trying to laugh.

Tyrion scoffed. "Not mine. I'm not worthy enough to be protected. Besides, I've got Bronn, he's enough protection already; not to mention I don't need two overly large egos to deal with."

Dimeria smiled, though it was quite strained. Tyrion's comment only depressed her, really. The fact that his own family, except Jaime, hated him was awful. Dimeria thought that perhaps being hated by your family was much worse than not having any family at all, though she would never have any real insight to the matter.

"Who will I be guarding then?" She asked Tyrion.

He shrugged. "I would imagine Cersei; she's quite fond of you, or perhaps one of her sons."

Dimeria instinctively grimaced at the thought of protecting Joffrey; she hated the blonde prick, but if that's what she was told to do, she didn't really have a choice. Tyrion and Dimeria entered the gardens as they left the Tower of the Hand, the hot sun beating down on the back of Dimeria's neck.

Suddenly, an all too familiar voice drifted into Dimeria's ears. "Lady Dimeria, congratulations on your new...occupation." Lord Varys stepped in front of her and Tyrion.

"Lord Varys," Dimeria stopped her walking. "I suppose you had something to do with my new employment."

"Actually, no. Both Lord Tyrion and myself had no real say in the matter, though I can't say I totally disagree with the King's decision to make you a guard." Lord Varys commended. "You are quite skilled with a blade."

Dimeria narrowed her eyes at the eunuch, his vague words for some reason ringing bells in her mind. Varys met her gaze, almost urging her on to figure out his riddle. Although Tyrion wasn't entirely sure of what was going on between the two, he knew it was safer to watch the scene play out instead of getting involved.

The pieces suddenly clicked together in her mind. "It was you…" Dimeria said softly.

Varys' eyes sparkled dangerously as Dimeria came to the realization.

"You sent those men to attack...because you knew I would defend everyone." Dimeria continued.

A smile crept its way onto Varys' face, but he kept his cool just like he always did. "Of course you would fight those nasty assassins off, Lady Dimeria. It's against your nature to let danger just pass you by."

Dimeria bit her lip; she wanted a straight answer from Varys, though she had a feeling she wasn't going to get one. "Yes, but you sent them. You knew what would happen." She insisted.

Varys tilted his head innocently. "Did I?" He asked Dimeria. When no answer came forth from the stunned girl, he smiled to himself once more. He turned to Tyrion, who knew all too well that Varys had something up his sleeves again. "Good day, Lord Tyrion."

He turned and shuffled away, leaving Dimeria slightly fuming and Tyrion shaking his head amusedly. "I'm afraid that's all the information you'll get out of him, Dimeria." Tyrion told her.

"He set it up. I know he did." She said matter-of-factly.

"Maybe, but good luck trying to pin it on him." Tyrion said, beginning to walk again.

It took a few seconds, but Dimeria eventually began to follow him again. Her mind was whirling with the day's events and the unexpected turn her life had just taken; of course, ever since she had left Castle Black, her life had been a series of twists and sharp turns she never saw coming. She didn't particularly care about proving that Varys had practically sent those two men to their deaths; she wanted to know **why **he did it. Why was Varys so interested in Dimeria?

…

"I haven't fought with a training sword since I was a child!" Dimeria complained to Jaime.

"Well, since we are training, I'd say it's appropriate to use a training sword." Jaime retorted. He rolled his eyes as he heard Dimeria sigh dramatically behind him. "Besides, you're out of practice; I wouldn't want to injure you." He said arrogantly.

It had been several days since the small council had decided to make Dimeria a personal guard and Jaime had finally found the perfect place for her to train.

Dimeria snorted. "**I'm** out of practice? I didn't see you fighting off those assassins the other day."

Jaime smirked and continued down the uneven steps. The stairs led them far away from the castle to a spot hidden by trees and bushes and some stone and rocky outcroppings. They came to bottom of the steps, stopping at some smooth pavement alongside Blackwater Bay.

Dimeria stopped at the last step. "You've got to be kidding me. Seriously?" She said gesturing at the water. "Is it your mission to make my life miserable?" She asked Jaime.

He smiled and turned back to look at her. "Not my mission, but a fun hobby. Now come on." Jaime urged her.

"Why here?" Dimeria asked stubbornly.

"Because I'm going to train you, and help you overcome your fear of the water at the same time."

"And how do you plan to do that?"

Jaime sighed and took a step toward her. "We're going to be training here from now on. The more time you spend near the water, the more you'll get used to it. And getting used to it means not being afraid."

Dimeria refused to move.

"And if you don't get over here right now," Jaime continued stepping towards her. "I'll throw you into the water."

Dimeria narrowed her eyes at him. "You wouldn't dare."

Moving faster than Dimeria anticipated, Jaime picked her up by the waist and threw her over his shoulder. She began pounding on his back and kicking her legs, but Jaime ignored her and moved steadily closer to the water. Dimeria's screams were deafeningly loud, and Jaime wondered if someone would hear her.

He stopped at the edge and talked over Dimeria's screaming. "Are you going to train here or not, little warrior?" He shouted.

"Put me down!" She screamed.

He took a step back and dumped her on the ground, pausing only for a second as she landed on her backside. Jaime tossed her the training sword, grabbing one for himself and weighing it in his hand.

"Get up." He ordered.

Dimeria glared at him and got up slowly, only to lose her balance once more since Jaime immediately began attacking her. She rounded away from him, putting the water to her back and barely managing to get her sword up in time to block Jaime's next swing. It continued like this for the next few moments; Dimeria struggling to keep up with Jaime's advances, but once she got her footing under control, instinct took over and Dimeria began taking the offensive side. She countered back furiously, her arm moving gracefully through the air like a bird in the clouds.

Although Jaime was thoroughly enjoying himself, he was also surprised. He knew Dimeria was a great fighter, but Jaime was also out of practice just like she was. He could feel the change in energy when Dimeria let her instinct take over, and he was suddenly relieved that they were using training swords, or else Dimeria might have let her instinct take it too far.

Jaime suddenly stopped and held his sword out defensively, signaling Dimeria to stop.

"What?" She asked breathlessly

"You're good." Jaime said. Dimeria stared at him, not believing his complement. "What? You are." Jaime laughed at her.

"Thanks…" She said suspiciously.

Jaime looked up at the sky and drew a deep breath. "I think that's enough for today."

"Really?"

"We'll go longer tomorrow. Come on, we can take a walk to cool off." Jaime said.

He threw the training sword to the side and turned his back on her. She wasn't sure what to do. Jaime was much more competitive than this, there was no way he would just end such intense sparring so easily. Although she was hesitant, Dimeria followed his lead and began walking with him.

They stayed on the grounds of the castle, though they were far from the busy life of the Red Keep. Dimeria could see the edge of the Kingswood ahead of her, with the surf of Blackwater Bay to her left; she made sure she kept Jaime between her and the water. The sun was beginning its descent, Dimeria didn't realize they had been training for that long.

"I honestly don't think you need my training." Jaime said suddenly.

Dimeria blinked her eyes in shock. "I don't?"

"No."

"But…" Dimeria made a move to follow him, though she was hesitant since he was standing close at the water. "You're the best swordsman there is...I'm sure you could teach me something."

Jaime stopped and rubbed a hand over his chin, contemplating what Dimeria had just said. "There is something...not exactly necessary, but it couldn't hurt to learn it."

"Okay." Dimeria said readying herself. "Show me."

Jaime smiled to himself and turned to face her. "It's usually handy when you're in close combat, so come here."

Dimeria, completely oblivious to the mischievous smirk on Jaime's face, came closer; she was more than ready to learn something that would help her fight.

For the second time that day, Jaime hauled Dimeria over his shoulder, but this time actually carried her out into the water, completely ignoring the fact that he himself was getting soaked.

"Seven hells, Lannister! Put me down!" Dimeria shouted as loud as her lungs allowed her.

"Whatever you say, little warrior." Jaime smiled, and with a roaring laugh, dumped Dimeria into the water and watched her struggle.

Dimeria came out from under the water with a mighty gasp. They were a little more than waist deep and Dimeria stood up with her hair drenched and her clothes almost weighing her down. Jaime could not stop himself from laughing at Dimeria's enraged face and almost doubled over from the pain of his joy.

"Damn you, Lannister!" She screamed at him.

"Calm down, Dimeria!" Jaime said, beginning to get his laughter under control. "It's not that bad!"

She began stomping away from him, though she was moving much slower than she wanted due to her heavy clothes and deep water.

"No, get back here!" Jaime said, dragging her back to him as she fell backwards in the water.

"Cut it out!" Dimeria shouted. She stood back up and splashed water in Jaime's face, shocking him enough to make him let go.

Jaime looked back at Dimeria curiously before splashing her back with more water. A great fight broke out then, completely harmless except for how soaked the two were becoming. Dimeria's long locks were streaked across her face, while Jaime's tunic was practically hanging off his body. Growls of irritation oozed out of Dimeria's mouth, but they unexpectedly turned to shrieks of laughter. Straining her neck back, while splashing Jaime with water, Dimeria couldn't help the bubbles of laughter escaping her body.

Exhaustion overtook their bodies soon enough and they both finally managed to get back to the shore to collapse breathlessly on the ground. Jaime turned his head to gaze at Dimeria's overjoyed face and let himself gloat over the fact that he had been the one to cause it.

"See? I told you that you'd like the water." Jaime grinned.

"Shut up, Lannister." Dimeria snapped, though she still had a smile on her face.

The sky was painted with streaks of rose and fuchsia, fading into midnight blue far on the horizon. The first stars of the evening appeared in the sky like fireflies, twinkling high into the heavens. Dimeria and Jaime stayed in the surf, letting the blanket of water flow over their legs rhythmically. It was Dimeria who suddenly shattered the peaceful scene.

"We should get back." She said sitting up abruptly. "People are probably wondering where you are…"

Jaime sat up slowly with her, startled by her unexpected shift in attitude.

"It's not that big of a deal." He told her.

"Still," Dimeria stood. "It'll be getting dark soon."

She left Jaime behind, backtracking all the way to the castle; leaving Jaime to wonder what the hell had just happened.

…

"Have you ever been in love, Dimeria?" Cersei asked.

It took the bastard girl a moment to answer. "Can't say I have." She lied; Dimeria knew better than to even hint at possibly having a relationship with Robb Stark, though strangely enough, Robb wasn't the person that first came to her mind.

"It's a dangerous thing...love." Cersei said distastefully. "It takes root deep inside of you, until it rips everything that you hold dear away from you. And then you're left with nothing but the aching and stinging of the never ending emptiness."

Dimeria bit her lip in nervous contemplation. Where had all this come from?

"I take it love hasn't been a pleasant experience for you?" Dimeria said.

Cersei laughed bitterly. "There's nothing that I love more than my children, and I've had nearly all of them taken away from me." She flared her nostrils like a fire-breathing dragon and shook her head. "That monstrous imp of a brother I have shipped Myrcella off to Dorne like a casket of wine, my only daughter. And that conniving whore has her claws sunk in Joffrey's skin like a cat."

"Margaery Tyrell?" Dimeria asked with slight disbelief.

"Yes." Cersei nearly growled. "The bitch will do nothing but poison Joffrey's mind."

Dimeria bit her lip nervously; the afternoon was supposed to be just a simple meal, but it had suddenly turned into a fuming rant session from Cersei.

"Surely the Small Council will stop that from happening. Your father, your brothers…they wouldn't let that happen."

Cersei snorted at the comment. "They don't see what Margaery is doing to him; they won't be able to stop anything." She turned towards Dimeria then, eyeing her carefully as she decided what she wanted to say to her. "Dimeria, you're to be a guard for my son Tommen, and occasionally Joffrey."

Dimeria thought her body would just collapse with the disappointment she felt about having to guard Joffrey, but if she let her irritation show Cersei would probably throw her off a cliff.

"I want you to keep an eye on that manipulating little whore for me. Do not let her claws sink any deeper into my son, do you understand?"

"Of course, Your Grace." Dimeria mumbled quietly.

Whether Cersei wanted her to or not, Dimeria began to take her leave from the room. Cersei's order scared Dimeria if she had to admit it. She didn't want to be part of the lies that surrounded King's Landing, it was far more dangerous than fighting with a sword would ever be. At least with sword you could see what was coming; here in King's Landing, you never knew who had a knife up their sleeve. Dimeria was learning quickly that the only way to survive in the Red Keep was to have your own hidden blade, whether it be metaphorical or not, you had to have something up your sleeve. Dimeria just didn't know if she could handle all of that though, she already had enough on her mind.

Just as she was about to depart, Cersei stopped her. "Dimeria, I hear that your training sessions are going well."

"Yes, they are." Dimeria said quickly.

"I wasn't aware that your fighting sessions involved swimming lessons."

Dimeria's heart nearly leapt into her throat. How the hell did Cersei know about that? Dimeria scolded herself for being surprised though; anyone with some amount of power had spies in King's Landing, and of course Cersei would be one of those people.

"I've been afraid of the water for a long time now. Jaime was just doing me a favor by helping me overcome my fear." Dimeria tried to explain.

"You're lucky, Ser Jaime doesn't usually hand out favors so willingly." Cersei said.

Dimeria cringed at Cersei's subtle correction of her title for Jaime. She may have fortunately fallen into the Queen's good graces, but that didn't mean she couldn't suddenly be thrown from the pedestal of favor.

"Yes, I suppose I am." Dimeria conceded. "Good day, Your Grace." Dimeria scurried from the room quickly, wishing to put as much distance as she could in between Cersei and herself.

Cersei knew what had happened the other day when Jaime dragged Dimeria into the water and for some reason, that unnerved Dimeria; but she didn't know why. Hell, ever since she had gotten out of the water with Jaime she had felt strange around him, or maybe she was just mad at herself.

She had let her guard down; she let Jaime get too close for comfort. Dimeria was finding herself at the point where thinking of Jaime distracted her from what was important and she knew how dangerous that could be if she let it get out of hand. She shook her head as she walked through the halls of the castle. She had to stop it; Dimeria needed to remember why she was in King's Landing in the first place: to find out who her parents were, not to guard King Joffrey and his little brother.

As she made her way closer to her chambers, Dimeria finally let herself relax. She planned on spending the rest of her day locked in her room, quiet and away from everyone else.

"Dimeria!" A voice called out to her.

Dimeria spun on her heel to see Tyrion walking towards her. "Tyrion?"

"I just wanted to ask you how your search for your parents was going." Tyrion said as he walked up to her.

"Not much progress unfortunately." She told him. "I'm honestly not sure where to start."

"I think I can help with that." Tyrion told her. He then handed her a rather large, old, and dusty book; it's pages crinkled and yellowed with age.

"What's this?" She asked him curiously.

"A book on all the great families of Westeros."

* * *

_**Well, you all know what that book means, but Dimeria doesn't! ;)**_

_**Hope you all enjoyed this chapter; I have a feeling a lot of you are going to enjoy the next few chapters coming up, so stay tuned! Remember to leave reviews...I love reading them!**_

_**Until next time...**_


	32. Chapter 33

It happened while Jaime was dreaming in his sleep, or even when he was just bored; he would find his mind wandering back to that evening and he would relive the whole thing. He would relive that moment in Blackwater Bay with Dimeria...

That was the moment he finally realized how important Dimeria was to him. Jaime used to think that Cersei was the only woman he ever had room for in his life and after the stinging rejection she had sent him when he got back to King's Landing, he wasn't entirely sure what to do. Dimeria lit the way for him though; she was always his beacon of light. She showed Jaime the person he should've become instead of the Kingslayer, she showed him that he could still be a great warrior, and she always steered him in the right direction; Jaime just didn't know why it took him so long to realize it.

The simplicity of just helping Dimeria overcome her fear of water had immediately switched on the light bulb for Jaime: She had done so much for him, but here he was just now repaying her.

Long story short, Jaime owed Dimeria his entire being and oddly enough; he was more than willing to spend a lifetime paying her back.

"Ser Jaime, I don't often see you in these parts of the castle grounds."

Lord Varys' voice always brought chills to Jaime's spine, but he willed his uneasiness away as he waited in the gardens. The thought of training with Dimeria always put Jaime in a good mood and nothing could dispel that.

"Perhaps that's because **you're** not in these parts often enough." Jaime said without even casting the eunuch a glance.

"Oh, I think you know well enough that I don't need to be near someone to know where they've been." Varys smiled as he walked closer to Jaime.

"You've been spying on me then?" Jaime asked.

"Spying sounds like such an invasion. I like to think of it as...observing."

Jaime snorted and flicked his eyes around the garden; he would've thought Dimeria would be there by now.

"Waiting for Lady Dimeria, are you?" Varys asked him. "Last I heard she was having a light lunch with your sister."

Jaime's stomach automatically lurched at the thought of Dimeria spending so much time with Cersei; who knew what seeds she was planting in Dimeria's head?

"Very kind of you to personally train her, Ser Jaime. I wouldn't think you'd want to spend so much of your time with her." Varys continued on.

Jaime gritted his teeth. "And why is that?"

"Well, you're back home; you're back where you belong, would you not want to return back to as much normalcy as you can? I would think that Lady Dimeria would impede that desire."

"Dimeria is not a nuisance; she's the closest thing to normal I have." Jaime replied without thinking. He cursed himself; Varys had a knack for getting people to admit things they'd rather keep to themselves.

Varys only smiled in response; he never seemed fazed by what people said in reply to his vague riddles. He only spoke once more to Jaime when they finally saw Dimeria exiting the castle and walking towards them.

"Don't doubt your instincts and feelings, Ser Jaime. They can surprise you sometimes." Varys told him.

"And what the hell is that supposed to mean?" Jaime snapped at him.

"I think you know." Varys said simply, and with that he turned and walked out of the gardens.

Jaime clenched his hands in irritation, though seeing Dimeria walking closer relaxed him quite a bit. She was biting her lip like she always did, making Jaime smile unconsciously. The white strand of hair had once again fallen loose of her sloppy braid and was lightly caressing her cheek as the wind danced around the leaves of the garden.

"Where have you been?" Jaime asked her.

"Nowhere." Dimeria answered a little too quickly as she returned to biting a hole in her lip.

_She's nervous...no wonder she's biting her lip._ Jaime thought to himself.

"Are you sure?" Jaime pried.

"I'm positive, Lannister." Dimeria replied, managing to get control over herself.

Jaime eyed her for a moment longer, not believing for a second that she was as innocent as she was trying to sell; but he pressed the issue no further.

"Let's get going then." He said turning away from her.

Dimeria released a sigh of relief when Jaime stopped questioning her. She knew he would probably bring the topic back up later on, but she could deal with that; by then she would have time to mentally prepare herself. She took a deep breath and tried to shake herself of the tight bundle of nerves that had been thrown on her after her conversation with Tyrion. It was brief, but it was enough to shake her to the core.

Her training session was a quick blur, passing by quicker than lightning. Before Dimeria knew it, she and Jaime were sitting against the stone in an effort to catch their breath.

"Something on your mind, little warrior?" Jaime asked her in between breaths.

Dimeria thought a moment before answering. "You know, the last time you asked me that question was when I killed a man."

"Are you trying to tell me something?" Jaime speculated.

"No, I did not kill anyone." Dimeria said, rolling her eyes at Jaime.

Jaime nudged Dimeria with his elbow. "What's wrong then?"

Dimeria wanted to tell him, she really did. Jaime was the only person she could trust after all they'd been through together, but she just couldn't bring herself to say anything.

Tyrion's words drifted through her mind: _"I can help you find your parents…"_

A weight dropped in Dimeria's stomach as she thought about it. Finally. She was going to find out whom her parents were, but did she want that anymore? Finding her parents had been her goal since the very beginning of her journey, but her mental path had become so skewed along the way.

What did she want?

Her mind was a maze she was struggling to work through, and Dimeria had a feeling that if she ever wanted to get out, she would have to hack and cut her way through instead of following the trail.

"Dimeria?" Jaime prodded.

"It's nothing." She answered quickly. A heavy cloud of guilt blocked her mind as she lied to Jaime. Lying to him was the last thing she wanted to do; he was her closest friend and keeping secrets from him left a bad taste in her mouth. "I have to go." Dimeria said as she came to her feet.

Jaime stood to follow her, grabbing her wrist before she could make her escape.

"Dimeria…" He said with a tight grip on her.

Electric jolts coursed through Dimeria's body at Jaime's touch. "Yes?" She asked him.

"You can trust me. You know that, right?"

Dimeria nodded. "I know."

And with that, Dimeria turned and left, leaving Jaime behind to contemplate what he was going to do about his feelings for her.

…

Quick and quiet were Dimeria's steps as she made her way back into the castle. She was to meet Tyrion in the library as soon as she finished her training. A pounding drum resounded in her chest as she got closer and closer to the library; desperate puffs of air shot out of her mouth as her brisk walk turned into a light jog, and eventually into a full out sprint.

She found Tyrion sat at a table with the large book of the Noble Houses in front of him. He turned his head lazily upon hearing her rather loud entrance and raised his brows.

"Rough training session?" He asked Dimeria.

"What? No…" Dimeria said, confused at his question, but then understanding that he was curious about her rapid breaths. "Oh, I ran here."

"Ah, excited to find out who your parents are?"

"Nervous…" Dimeria corrected.

"Well, nervous is just excited with a negative connotation." Tyrion said with a smirk.

"Maybe to you, but to me: nervous is nervous." Dimeria said with a sigh. "Shall we?"

"Yes, let's begin." Tyrion forced himself to seem aloof about the subject of Dimeria's origins. Tyrion knew who she was; he had suspected from the beginning that she was a Targaryen. A prickle in Tyrion's mind was telling him that things were getting dangerous in King's Landing, more so than usual. Dimeria needed to be aware of who she was. Being left in the dark would make her too careless; she needed to be cautious that way nobody would find out she was a Targaryen.

The only problem was how to prove to Dimeria that she truly was of Targaryen blood.

Tyrion flipped the large tome to the very House that Dimeria belonged to; there was no point in drawing this affair out in his mind. An extensive list of delicate swirls and symbols adorned the thick papyrus. A seemingly never ending lineage dating all the way back to Aegon the Conqueror stretched over several pages; overwhelming Dimeria, but energizing Tyrion. Dimeria peered at the names on the bottom of the vast list.

"Daenarys...and Viserys." Dimeria said. "They're the 2 children of the Mad King."

"They were the 2 living children, Viserys was killed by the Dothraki." Tyrion informed her.

"And Daenarys?" She asked curiously.

"Still thriving across the Narrow Sea. She's building an army of Unsullied-" Tyrion paused, remembering that Dimeria had absolutely no clue what the Unsullied were. "She's building a very large army around her soon to be very large dragons." Tyrion stated in simpler terms.

"Dragons?" Dimeria asked excitedly. Her deep blue eyes sparkled with childlike joy as she remembered her own dragon eggs back in her chambers.

Tyrion glanced at her mischieviously. "Yes, dragons...you can relate to that, can't you?"

A small stab of fear pierced her heart as her face dropped in shock. "How do you know about that?" She asked suspiciously.

Tyrion ignored her question and continued on. "Do you think they'll ever hatch?"

"What? No, they're...they're just eggs. They can't hatch unless they have a dragon mother…" Dimeria stuttered. Had Tyrion been spying on her? Why would he?

"Daenarys' eggs hatched. Who says yours can't?" He pressed on.

Words stuck to her throat like molasses. What was Tyrion trying to say? "She's a Targaryen...they, they have dragon blood, right?"

"Yes…"

"That's why they hatched! Because...she's part dragon!" She said raising her voice. This was not going like anything she had planned. Dimeria wanted some sort of written document; some proof of who she was, not wild speculations just because she found dragon eggs!

"And who says you aren't?" Tyrion challenged.

Dimeria sat in stunned silence. No. He was wrong. She couldn't be a Targaryen…

Could she?

Revolving wheels and puzzle pieces began grinding along with her thought process.

Aemon was a Targaryen; he was the one that found her as a baby...because he saved her from his own brother.

The history of the Mad King that Robb told her flew back into her mind. The Targaryens were taken from the throne; all of them killed or exiled. That's why Aemon and Jeor kept her at Castle Black...to keep her safe.

The fire when she fought of the White Walker that didn't burn her…

The reason she was so entranced with the dragon eggs…

Her white strand of hair…

Each empty space in her mind, each nook and cranny was filled as the wondrous light of understanding shone down upon her in the library. It seemed to be too much for Dimeria.

Her muscles snapped up as she jumped from her chair, sending the piece of furniture to the floor behind her. She gaped at the book of noble houses like it was a poisonous snake hissing at her dangerously.

"No…" She said frightfully. "That's impossible!"

"Dimeria...you know it's true." Tyrion said calmly, hoping his cool composure would rub off on Dimeria, but it didn't seem to be.

Her blue eyes were widened like saucers, dark circles smudged below them. Her shoulders heaved up and down with her labored breaths as she nervously ran her hand through her thick locks.

"How?!" Dimeria screamed at him angrily. "How can **any** of this be true?! It's insane; it's ridiculous! How did you even know I had dragon eggs!" Tremors of fury shook through her voice as she raged at the imp.

"Jaime told me." Tyrion answered her.

An eerie stillness took over Dimeria's body as Tyrion mentioned his brother; it seemed as if she had frozen in time. Her breathing slowed almost to the point of no respiration at all, and her muscles were clenched to the hardness of stone. Tyrion caught his breath, scolding himself for not realizing she would react this way to finding out that Jaime was involved. Dimeria was breathtakingly fierce in her rage, though Tyrion tried to not to let himself get caught up in her distracting appearance.

"Jaime told you…" Dimeria restated. Tyrion kept quiet. "Does he know? Has Jaime known who I am this entire time?" She asked with anger rimming her voice.

Tyrion's silence told Dimeria everything she needed to know.

She was a Targaryen.

…

The room was dark and cold. The floor was damp and clammy, chilling his body to the bones. Robb Stark had lived in the North his entire life, but the cold had never made him feel as miserable as he did in the horrible prison cell he was cooped up in. He seemed to be eternally curled up on his side in an effort to save his injured shoulder. A deep, dull ache pounded in his body, though Robb didn't know if that was from the harsh chill or the fact that he had taken arrows to his body.

He wanted to go home.

Robb spent his never-ending hours thinking of Winterfell and the rest of his family. He thought of his siblings and his parents and how much better their life had been before the Royal family came. They ruined everything. They took his father and eventually his mother, they disabled his brother, they were holding his sisters hostage…

And they took Dimeria from him.

Yes, Robb found himself thinking of Dimeria, making the emotional pain even worse than the aching his body was going through. What happened to her? Was she still alive, or had she been killed already? He shuddered thinking of Dimeria's cold, lifeless body that was usually filled with spirit, but he couldn't help but think that death was some sort of reprieve; at least to him it was.

He rolled over onto his back, hoping that the sharp pain in his shoulder would drive away the ghost of Dimeria's memory.

It didn't work.

A tear, relatively warm to the rest of this body, rolled down the side of his face as he stared up at the dark ceiling above him. The moans from other men in the dungeon reverberated in his ears, making him wonder if he ever unconsciously groaned as they did.

Suddenly, he heard footsteps. Robb's heart skipped a beat as he realized they were coming closer and closer to his cell. It could be a soldier who figured out his identity and was planning to take him away to have him executed. The clanking of metal keys pierced his heart and he nearly flinched with every step that become louder and closer to him. He closed his eyes.

_This is it…_ He thought to himself.

He heard the steps stop right in front of his cell, along with his heart stopping in his chest. The keys jingled as they were brought to the lock, and the door whined and creaked like a dying dog as it was pushed open.

"Robb?"

A voice soft as honey melted into the room, almost brightening the shadows with the tone alone. Robb strained his neck to look up at his visitor.

"Talisa?!" He gasped incredulously.

"Shhh…" Talisa quieted him. "You weren't awake the last couple of times I had been here." She stepped forward with supplies in her hands that Robb couldn't make out.

"What are you doing here?" He asked her.

"I've been helping Tulkas. He saved you and put you down here to keep you safe, I'm helping you stay alive." She said matter of factly. She set down the things she had been carrying; a pitcher filled with water, a towel, a small mug, and piece of bread. "Here, drink this...slowly." Talisa ordered him.

Robb allowed Talisa to hold the mug to his lips, letting the cool water refresh his dry mouth.

"What happened?" He asked Talisa.

She paused for a moment. Sadness flashed across her face as she thought of the night of the wedding. "It was horrible." She told him. "Lord Bolton's men and Walder Frey's men started attacking...they killed almost everyone. I...I've never heard so many screams." Talisa said quietly.

She took a deep breath before continuing her story. Picking up the towel, she began redressing Robb's wounds and wiping the grime from his face. "Tulkas saved you by passing another dead man for you. He tended to your wounds and brought you down here to keep you safe."

"I would have thought he could find a better place than prison." Robb grumbled unhappily.

Talisa scowled at him. "If Tulkas had tried to keep you in a proper room, you would have been found and killed. If he had tried to sneak you out of the castle at all, you both would have been found and killed. Be thankful for what he has done; he's risking his own life for yours."

Her words caught Robb off guard and he immediately regretted his complaining. "I'm sorry." He mumbled quietly.

Talisa sighed as she continued looking at Robb's injuries. "You're wounds are getting better, there's no festering." She told Robb.

Robb flinched and grimaced several times as he quietly allowed Talisa to redress his wounds. His depressed mood had seemed to thaw a bit while seeing Talisa; a familiar face was a breath of fresh air for him and the Gods knew how much he needed oxygen.

"What's going on up there now?" Robb asked Talisa quietly.

"Not much, Lord Bolton just departed for the Dreadfort to meet up with his bastard son." Talisa said with slight distaste. Everyone had heard of Bolton's bastard Ramsay Snow, and everyone had a certain disliking for him. "Besides, that's not what's important right now. We need to focus on getting you healed."

"You've done a good job of helping me so far." Robb complimented her.

"I'm a nurse...it's my job." Talisa said. "But...you're welcome."

Robb smiled at her, though it was quickly replaced by a grimace of pain as Talisa made one last tug on the cloth over his shoulder.

"Here, eat this." Talisa handed him the small piece of bread before gathering up her things to stand.

"Wait." Robb grasped her hand before Talisa could leave. "Give my sincerest thanks to Ser Tulkas." He told her.

Talisa nodded down at Robb. "I will."

She left the cell without another word and Robb was left alone in the cold darkness once more, though it was made a little brighter from the warmth of Talisa's hand still lingering on Robb's.

* * *

_**I bet you all thought Dimeria would never find out who she was ;) The next few chapters will hopefully be exciting, if not slightly frustrating for you guys.**_

_**Thank you everyone for reading and let me know what you think of this chapter; I love reviews!**_

_**Until next time...**_


	33. Chapter 34

Jaime's lips moved over Dimeria's lips perfectly. He knew what he was doing, Dimeria could tell. She remembered her first kiss with Robb and how awkward she felt and how timid Robb was, but Jaime was different; he had obviously done this many times before.

Dimeria's mind was in a whirl; she couldn't make sense of anything.

_Jaime Lannister is kissing me!_ Her mind screamed.

Finally, her thoughts came in order. She pushed Jaime away, slapped him across the face, and with her pack on her back, she left the room.

* * *

_**~~3 DAYS EARLIER~~**_

* * *

Dimeria's heart was pounding, her head was throbbing, her stomach felt sick with nausea.

She was a Targaryen. Dimeria Targaryen; it didn't even sound right. Everything anyone had ever told her about the Targaryens, everything she hated about them; ran in her blood.

Dimeria had run away from the library. She ran away from the library, away from Tyrion, away from that damn book! Why had this happened to her? Why did she have to be part of **that **family? The family of incest, madness...she hated it, she hated who she was and to think that she had actually wanted to find her parents!

Her room was the only place she could find solace. She sprinted to her chambers, locking the door and leaning up against the wood breathlessly as her lungs burned for air. The world was spinning around her. Images of her life, her childhood and her time at Castle Black shot through her mind; memories that were all fake. All of them were lies. Her life was falling to pieces all around her, each shard cutting her heart as they fell to the ground.

Dimeria sunk to the floor with her back sliding against the cold oaken door. She wanted to scream, but her throat formed no sound; she wanted to hit something, but her muscles just couldn't find the strength; she wanted to cry…

So she covered her face with her hands and let the salty tears stream down her face and seep between her fingers.

…

Dimeria locked herself in her room for the rest of the day, the entire night, and for most of the next morning. She didn't make her way down to the kitchens for breakfast, she didn't allow her handmaidens in when they came looking for her, and she hardly moved from her bed at all. Light streamed in from her window, making tiny particles of dust visible in the bright sunrays. Dimeria glanced outside. It was about midday; she should be having her training session with Jaime fairly soon.

She couldn't bear to see anyone at the moment, least of all Jaime.

_Lying bastard…_ She thought to herself.

Anger spiked through her chest as she thought of him. Anger and…hurt. Dimeria just felt so hurt and betrayed. She trusted Jaime; told him her deepest secrets, things of her past, hell he even knew she was still a virgin!

They had saved each other's lives multiple times, gotten each other through the hardest parts of their journey; did that mean nothing to Jaime?

Once again, Dimeria found herself hating that she had let someone in; she let someone get close to her again and she was paying the price for it. What made matters worse was that she never expected it from Jaime; she never expected Jaime to be the one that took her already beaten heart and tear it up to shreds even more.

Bright red fury blazed within her eyes. Gods she was so angry! Dimeria chuckled an almost maniacal laugh at herself. Was she going insane? Was this how mad Targaryens behaved?

Dimeria groaned and rolled over in her bed. She would be skipping her training session with Jaime today, and probably for the next few days; she considered just stopping altogether! She could go train with him, she supposed, but then she might have killed him.

…

"She didn't take it well, I assume…"

"She sprinted from the library to be specific." Tyrion told Varys.

"Poor girl…" Varys mused.

Tyrion thought back to the moment that the life changing realization dawned upon Dimeria. Actually, it was more like all the information was dumped on her as if there was a chamber pot above her head. He pitied the girl, but Tyrion knew it had to be done.

"Apparently she hasn't left her chambers for almost 2 days." Tyrion said.

"Do you blame her?" Varys asked.

"No, but wallowing in her misery isn't going to help her situation."

"I agree, but she needs time. Staying locked her room is probably safer than her running mad about the castle, spreading her secret." Varys said. "As long as no one else knows who she is, Lady Dimeria will be safe."

Varys saw the doubt in Tyrion's eyes, but he knew the dwarf wouldn't go against him. Varys himself had slight apprehension over Dimeria's safety, but he was willing to take this risk of having her find out who she was if it brought on the greater good for the realm. If Varys' plans went accordingly, Dimeria would help bring about the end of the Lannister reign; which would ultimately bring on a better time for the Seven Kingdoms.

His only concern was the Lannisters themselves. Dimeria seemed to be on good terms with each and every one of them, which was not an easy thing to do especially with Cersei. Varys still doubted that Cersei was actually a true friend to Dimeria, but there was no real evidence to say so; the eunuch made a mental note to keep an eye on the Queen Regent around Dimeria, after all, Cersei was the real problem. Once Cersei got a hold of someone, it was difficult for them to get away from her; and with the growing friendship she had with Dimeria...well, Varys only hoped that Dimeria was smart enough to see the evil in Cersei's ways and not get involved in them, or else Dimeria would be working **for** the Lannisters rather than against them.

There was one other player that was coming into play that Varys had not fully anticipated though.

"Your brother...how did Lady Dimeria react to him having knowledge of her origins." Varys asked Tyrion suddenly.

"I suspect that was the main reason she sprinted from the library. Why?"

Varys thought for a moment. " Pity…" He said. "Ser Jaime seems to have...unwound himself from your sister's ensnaring roots. That may work out well for us if Lady Dimeria manages to get a hold of her newfound hatred for him."

"How so?" Tyrion asked curiously.

"We shall see later on. We don't want to be getting too far ahead of ourselves." Varys said cryptically.

Tyrion was considering pressing Varys for more information, but he thought better of it. If the eunuch was going to keep a secret, he would keep it sealed up for as long as he wanted to; and although Varys just said not to think too far ahead, Tyrion knew from the look on his face that he was thinking far, far into the future and the part Dimeria was about to play in it.

…

It had been 3 days since Jaime's last training session with Dimeria. Hell, it had been 3 days since he had even laid eyes on Dimeria! Where the hell was she? He wandered through the hallways aimlessly, not going in any particular direction, but just hoping that he would spot Dimeria around every corner.

He couldn't get her out of his mind; the more he came to terms with his feelings for her, the more her face drifted into his life. Jaime thought of her deep blue eyes and the way they seemed to light up when she was angry. He thought of her dark locks and that white strand of hair that always came loose of her braid to gently caress her cheeks; the cheeks he wanted to caress. He thought of the way she always bit her lip when she was nervous; those beautiful lips that he so desperately wanted to kiss…

No.

Jaime shook his head. He couldn't let his desires distract him; if he ever wanted any of that to happen, he would have to find her first and that didn't seem to be going so well.

"Where the hell are you, Dimeria…" Jaime nearly growled to himself.

He rounded a corner quickly, deciding to go back to her chambers. He had been there once before, but she hadn't been in the room; perhaps she had returned by now. Jaime hoped she had. Making a sharp right, he rounded the corner and ran straight into…

Cersei.

Repulsion painted itself clearly on both the twins' faces as they laid eyes on each other. Things had remained quite sour between them, their looks being the only thing they had in common these days. Jaime used to wonder where things had gone wrong between them, but he was finding himself caring less and less these days.

"Shouldn't you be protecting someone?" Cersei asked lazily.

"Shouldn't you be digging your claws into someone's face?" Jaime retorted.

Cersei narrowed her eyes dangerously at him; green orbs flashing with venom with each passing second she looked upon Jaime's face. Jaime rolled his eyes and decided to break the tense silence between them.

"Have you seen Dimeria?" He asked her.

"Oh, lost her, have you?" Cersei said curiously.

"I believe I'm the one that asked first…" Jaime said.

"That's too bad...you seemed to be growing so fond her of." Cersei drawled out.

"A simple 'yes' or 'no' would suffice." Jaime rolled his eyes.

"Hm...such a pity." Cersei said.

"Well, I guess I'll be going then." Jaime said, growing tired of Cersei's little game. Had their conversations gone like that before the war?

Cersei stopped her teasing then and rolled her eyes. "She's in her chambers, I just escorted her back."

Jaime tilted his head. "Since when do you escort people?"

"That's what friends do, is it not?" Although Cersei claimed to be Dimeria's friend, she could not actually say the word comfortably, making it sound forced and awkward.

"You don't have any friends." Jaime said with finality.

"Perhaps I do now." Cersei said without missing a beat.

Jaime couldn't stop the flip of his stomach at the possibility that Cersei and Dimeria were good friends. Was that why he hadn't seen Dimeria recently? Was his own sister planting some sort of seed in Dimeria's mind that deterred her from Jaime? The thought concerned Jaime quite a bit and he decided he should get to Dimeria as quickly as possible.

"It's been a pleasure talking to you, but I really must be off." Jaime said as he pushed his way past Cersei.

"I'd be careful if I were you, dear brother…" She said with malice. "Dimeria didn't seem to be in the best mood when I spoke with her and you should know better than anyone else how dangerous she can be when she's angry."

Jaime didn't respond to the "friendly" advice, though he did take it into account. He turned his back on his sister, mentally preparing himself for the storm he was about to walk into.

…

Dimeria hadn't expected to her 3-day absence to go unnoticed, but she had hoped no one would do anything about it.

She didn't get her wish.

For the past 3 days she had locked herself in her room, not allowing anyone in except for her handmaidens when they brought her food. Dimeria found that after the first day of isolation she could go no longer without proper sustenance. She would've been happy keeping this as her daily routine, but like everything else in her life, it got screwed up.

Cersei requested her presence and Dimeria knew better than to defy the Queen Regent. Dimeria made her way to the Queen's chambers, keeping her eyes low as her shoulders drooped from heavy depression. It had slightly entered Dimeria's mind that perhaps Cersei wanted to speak with her because she somehow overheard who Dimeria really was, but she didn't care. If Cersei knew she was a Targaryen, she would either exile her, or have her head chopped off. At this point, Dimeria was too upset to fear for her life.

She knocked on Cersei's door.

"Dimeria." Cersei said as she answered the door. "I haven't seen you in quite a while."

"I've been busy." Dimeria answered curtly.

"Busy being cooped up in your room?"

Dimeria didn't answer as she stood uncomfortably in Cersei's large chambers. She didn't want to be here. She wanted to go back to her blissful ignorance. Dimeria now treasured the time she spent at Castle Black; where she had no worries, no cares in the world except for how idiotic the men there could be, but she threw it all away. She left all that behind just because of some stupid, selfish desire. Oh, how Dimeria wished she could take it all back.

Cersei then proceeded to ask Dimeria why she hadn't been going to her training sessions and much to her dismay, she got no real answer from Dimeria. Luckily for Dimeria, Cersei decided to ignore the situation and went on explaining to Dimeria that she would need to begin guarding Tommen as soon as possible. Nodding her understanding, Dimeria turned to walk out of the room and was surprised when Cersei offered to escort her.

So now here Dimeria was, sitting at the desk in her own room, writing a letter to Jon.

_**Dear Jon,**_

_**I've been putting off this letter for some time now, mainly because I could never really find the time to ever write it. I hope you know I haven't forgotten about you, in fact, I wish my time at Castle Black were the only thing I could remember. I wish I could tell you everything that's happened, but I can't...at least not through a letter; it would be too dangerous. I hope to see you again someday, Jon. I miss you dearly.**_

_**Yours truly,**_

_**Dimeria-**_

She paused. Part of her wanted to write down Targaryen, but another part wanted to gag that that was who she was now: a Targaryen. She put down the quill and covered her face in her hands. Gods why did her life have to become so complicated?!

With a heavy sigh, Dimeria folded up the letter so she could get ready to send a raven. A voice entered her mind then…

_You could take it to Jon yourself…_

The thought of going back North made Dimeria's heart flutter with excitement, as if it had grown wings and was flying within her chest. Why not? She asked herself. A rapid plan began developing in her mind then. She could sneak out of King's Landing and begin heading back to The Wall, it couldn't possibly be that difficult; she just had to go north! And if the Lannisters were angered by her disappearance, surely they wouldn't be able to reach her all the way at Castle Black.

Everything that Dimeria had gone through; all the emotional pain she went through when she killed for the first time, all the beatings she had endured when she was captured by Locke, and now all the betrayals she had faced in her life that was now being continued by Jaime had just about driven Dimeria to the edge. She didn't know if she could take it anymore. Running away seemed like a much preferable option rather than dealing with the poisonous snakes in King's Landing.

Without even thinking through was she was about to do, Dimeria began packing her bag; placing her 2 dragon eggs safely in her pack. She may have hated the fact that she was a Targaryen, but there was no way she would leave without her dragon eggs.

An insistent knocking at her door caused her to cringe as she threw her pack over her shoulder.

"What?!" Dimeria snapped at whoever was on the other side.

Jaime stepped in then, bringing up such anger from Dimeria that she didn't even know how she managed to keep from strangling him on the spot. Her throat felt tight and constricted as she clenched her hands until her knuckles turned white.

"You've missed 3 of our training sessions." Jaime stated as he noticed Dimeria's obvious signs of anger.

"And?" Dimeria responded hotly.

"Where have you been?!" Jaime risked a shout at Dimeria even though he was possibly endangering his life.

"Why does it matter to you?!" Dimeria countered back loudly.

"You've been gone for 3 days without any explanation, of course I'm worried." Jaime explained.

"Oh, worried…" Dimeria chuckled sarcastically. "That's nice of you, Lannister...real nice."

Jaime furrowed his brows in confusion. "What the hell is your problem?" He asked her.

"YOU ARE!" She screamed at him furiously. Jaime could nearly feel the force of her anger for him as her beautiful blue eyes suddenly began blazing brightly. Her hair had fallen about her shoulders wildly and her cheeks were blushing a light pink.

Dimeria's anger had bubbled over and she suddenly felt overwhelmed and exhausted. She shook her head disappointedly at Jaime and began striding past him, only to have him jerk her back by her wrist.

"No, no, no…" Jaime said as he pulled her back. "What are you talking about, Dimeria?"

"Get your hands off me, you bastard!" Dimeria growled, but he wouldn't let go.

"Not until you tell me what's going on! Why are you acting like this, and why do you have your things packed?!" Jaime said, growing more and more frustrated.

"Because I'm leaving." Dimeria said with finality.

Jaime's intense gaze faltered at hearing her news. Was that why Cersei had been with Dimeria shortly before him? Did she randomly decide that she didn't want Dimeria around anymore? That would surely explain why Dimeria was so upset.

"Why?" Jaime prodded her some more.

"Don't act like you don't know everything." Dimeria said dangerously low.

"Like I don't know what?!" Jaime nearly growled at her. Gods, why was he falling for such an infuriating girl!?

Dimeria narrowed her eyes. "You've known I'm a Targaryen this entire time."

Once again, Jaime's gaze faltered, but he kept a firm grip around Dimeria's wrist. Chills ran up Jaime's spine as Dimeria accused him. Her voice was low and she wasn't struggling in his grasp, but the malice and venom with which she spoke intimidated Jaime more than anything he had ever known.

The room was silent. That was the thing about Dimeria, silence meant danger where she was concerned; it meant all of her emotions had one focal point, and in this case that focus was Jaime. They stayed still just staring at each other for what seemed like hours; the only thing disrupting the silence was the beating of their own hearts. Dimeria's blue daggers were digging into Jaime's, almost as if they were willing him to try to deny her claim; he knew he couldn't.

"I had to keep you safe." Jaime finally said after taking a deep breath.

"It's not your job to protect me!" Dimeria argued.

Jaime shook his head and dropped his grip on her wrist. "Everything that you were going through, everything that happened when we were captured by Locke; if I had told you who you were...you would've lost it completely!"

"Don't act like you did it for me, Lannister." Dimeria said hatefully.

"Why else would I have done it?!"

"To hide the fact that **you** were the one that murdered my father!"

It was Jaime's turn to seethe at Dimeria then. "Don't you dare use that against, Dimeria!" He yelled at her. "You know what happened."

Four simple words were all that were needed to get the point across to Dimeria, but even then, there was nothing Jaime could say that would dispel the anger she felt. She shook her head as hot tears began welling in her eyes.

"You kept it from me. You kept the most important thing away from me, the reason I wanted to get to King's Landing in the first place; and you hid it from me!" Dimeria screamed desperately. "I trusted you."

With that, Dimeria turned to walk away and for the second time, Jaime pulled her back by the wrist.

"Where do you think you're going?" He asked.

"I told you; I'm leaving." Dimeria growled.

Those words scared Jaime the most. She couldn't leave, not now. He couldn't bear the hole Dimeria's absence would leave in his life, but he wouldn't admit that to her; not here, not now.

"You can't leave, little warrior. This is who you are, you can't run away from that!" Jaime said as he pulled Dimeria closer to him.

His words struck a chord in Dimeria. She wasn't running away from who she was, she was just going home, right? She shook her head; Dimeria wouldn't allow Jaime to get in her head that way, she had to leave.

"Just let me go, Lannister." She tried to pull away, but Jaime didn't budge; he only stepped closer.

"No." Jaime said with defiance.

Dimeria could feel his hot breath on her forehead, sending tingles throughout her entire body. She looked up into his green eyes, hoping it would help drive her point forward.

"If you don't let me go, Lannister, I'll-"

Jaime cut Dimeria's words off with his lips. He had to; he just had to see what they felt like; soft and warm, probably because Dimeria constantly bit her lips. He released his hold on her and went to run his thumb across her cheek. Gods, it felt so right for Jaime; so perfect. He imagined it would have been even better if he hadn't caught her by surprise, but it was the only way to shut her up.

He could have stayed that way forever, moving his lips over hers; and just when he thought Dimeria was about to give in to his insistence, she pulled back, sent a stinging slap across his face, and stormed out of the room with her bag on her back. Later that night, Jaime could still feel the hot burn of her hand on his cheek; and the perfect softness of her lips on his.

* * *

**Hm, leave your thoughts? :) It would be very much appreciated!**

**Until next time...**


	34. Chapter 35

She kept walking. Her legs carried her wherever they wanted her to go. She honestly didn't care, she just wanted away from him.

_He kissed you!_ Dimeria's mind screamed.

She shook her head emphatically not realizing how strange she might have looked to people who just happened to be walking by. Before she knew it, Dimeria was outdoors on the grounds of the Red Keep and was quickly heading for the gates that would lead her to common parts of King's Landing.

Dimeria could still feel Jaime's lips on hers; their warmth, their softness…

_Stop._ She told herself; she had to stop thinking about it. She was mad at him; hell she should've wanted to kill him at the moment! Dimeria furrowed her brows as she walked in the warmth of the sun; practically willing herself to be disgusted by Jaime's kiss, but it wasn't working.

Did she actually enjoy it?

Did Dimeria actually like how experienced Jaime seemed to be at kissing? Was she actually enjoying being connected with him like that?

"No…Of course you didn't like it." Dimeria told herself quietly. Perhaps if she kept on saying it to herself, she would believe it.

Dimeria walked under the gates of the castle grounds and into the hustle and bustle of King's Landing, completely unaware of the actions around her.

_You didn't like it...you didn't like it...you didn't like it…_ She told herself.

Two guards stationed at the gates watched her pass by curiously, though they made no move to ask Dimeria where she was going. Street merchants stood in their customary spots, shouting to get people's attention, though it only worked half the time.

_You didn't like the kiss...you didn't like the kiss!_

Dirty children scrambled about the streets; finding their way into small nooks and crannies and playing in the shadows. Dimeria still went further on into the winding streets of King's Landing, slowly finding her way into Flea Bottom.

_You don't want to kiss him again...you don't want to kiss him again, Dimeria…_

The horrid stench of Flea Bottom should have woken Dimeria up from her mental battles, but she was too far-gone in them already. More dirty street children occupied the lanes, though they were far less active than the ones before as a result of being malnourished; many of them stared at Dimeria curiously, though she didn't even see their hungry eyes.

_You don't love Jaime...You don't love Jaime...You don't love-_

Dimeria stopped herself short. When the hell did love come into the picture?! She stopped in her tracks and looked at her surroundings. Finally she realized where she was and was immediately repulsed. No wonder it was called Flea Bottom, the place was horrendous! She turned around so she could find her way out, but once again, she stopped. Dimeria wiped a hand across her face; she had no idea where she was. Taking a deep breath, Dimeria tried to clear her mind of everything; the fact that she was a Targaryen, the fact that Jaime had kissed her, and the fact that she really didn't want to be leaving King's Landing right now: she wanted to march right back in and kiss Jaime again.

But she cleared her mind of all those things. Dimeria needed to find a way back to her old self; the version of her that didn't let emotions rule her life.

"Forget it, Dimeria…" She mumbled to herself as she bit her lip. "You did what you wanted. You know who you are...now you can leave." She tucked her hair behind her ear and quickly shrugged her pack comfortably back onto her shoulders.

Dimeria looked both to her left and right trying to decide which way would be best, she had no clue. Taking a left, Dimeria unknowingly entered further into Flea Bottom as she looked around curiously at all of its inhabitants. Part of her was disgusted by all of them, but the other part pitied them; how could they possibly survive like this? Dimeria knew she definitely wouldn't have wanted to live in such conditions, which brought her to wonder; surely the King would try to fix this? Dimeria snorted and shook her head. Even if Joffrey did know about how horrible everything was in Flea Bottom, he wouldn't do anything about it.

With a great sigh Dimeria put her head forward and continued on, trying to focus on her next goal: going back North. She inwardly groaned.

_What the hell are you doing, Dimeria?!_ She scolded herself. She was hardly equipped to go on such a journey North; she didn't even have the sword Jaime had given her!

"Good riddance…" Dimeria tried to say, but she just couldn't find it within herself to be hateful.

A heavy weight seemed to be pressed upon her chest and shoulders. Her face was drawn into a deep frown and there was a constant pounding in her temples like a hammer beating nails.

When had her life turned to shit?

She should've been happy. Finding out who her parents were was her main goal and she achieved it; and yet, Dimeria still felt so...empty.

Incomplete...that was how she felt. For the first time in her life, she had no clue what to do next; there was nothing left to drive her forward. Her life at Castle Black was one of routine; each day was determined by what Jeor or Aemon required her to do and when she left, her life was driven by her desire to find her parents and now…

Now what?

Walls seemed to be pressing up against her, as if they were forcing her decide what to do next in one second: Stay in King's Landing, or go back to Castle Black.

They drove up against her arms first, making them tense up against her sides. Harder the walls pressed, pushing her shoulders up into a tight shrug and pushing the breath from her lungs. The pounding in her temples were now thundering punches to her head now, causing her to squeeze her eyes shut.

And then suddenly...it stopped. A scream pierced the air, crumbling the walls that were pushing up against her to dust. Another scream rocketed through the sky, belonging to a woman it sounded like. Dimeria followed the forlorn wails, pushing her way through a growing crowd of filthy people.

Fire.

A huge inferno had erupted and was quickly engulfing a building to ashes as dark clouds of smoke began blacking out the bright blue sky.

"Please! Help me, please!" A woman knelt in front of the deteriorating house, wailing her heart out for someone to help her, but people only watched with stupefied looks on their faces.

It was the warrior within her, Dimeria supposed, that made her push further through the crowd and up by the woman.

"What's happened, what's going on?" Dimeria asked her frantically.

"My home!" The woman groaned mournfully.

Dimeria sighed. "There's nothing you can do, you can't stop the fire!" She tried to tell her.

"No…" The woman covered her face. "My child is in there...my child!"

Dimeria's heart sank as she looked at the sobbing woman; why was no one else helping her? Dimeria clenched her hands and set her face; if no one else would help, then she would.

Saying a word to no one, Dimeria ran into the blazing house with her pack on her shoulders and her arm shielding her face from the falling debris. It was hot, but she couldn't feel it; why couldn't she feel it? The only thing that bothered her was the fact that she could hardly see a thing. The inferno had almost consumed everything in sight. The home didn't seem very large, but Dimeria had no clue where to begin looking for the child.

"Hello!" She called out. "Is anyone in here, I'm here to help!"

No sound came forth except for the fiery crackles all around. Dimeria risked venturing further, trying to keep her eyes open to any signs of movement. Wooden posts came crashing down to her right, crumbling to pieces as ashes puffed into the air. She kept walking through, determined to find the child.

"Hello!" Dimeria yelled again; she was beginning to lose hope.

Suddenly, small coughs made their way into her ears. Dimeria snapped her head up. "Hello?! Where are you?!"

The small coughs turned into desperate hacks coming from the very back of the house. Squinting her eyes to see through the massive fire, Dimeria began carefully stepping forwards. Beads of sweat were rolling down her face, though the flames themselves were not actually harming her, much to Dimeria's confusion. She pushed the thought away and made herself focus.

"Stay where you are, I'm coming to get you!" Dimeria said.

"...help…" The child managed to wheeze.

"Stay there!"

Fire came raining down then in front of Dimeria; more pieces of the roof came crashing to the ground, sending Dimeria falling down to her backside to land in a pile of more fiery debris. Coughs erupted from her mouth as she inhaled smoke and ashes from her fall.

"Help!" The child called out more loudly.

Dimeria's pack ignited then, swiftly becoming engulfed in flames as she pushed herself up. She shrugged the bag off her shoulders, sprinting forward to get the child as quickly as possible. She reached the infant, a small girl, and held her hand out.

"Grab my hand!" She said.

The young girl took hold and Dimeria heaved her into her arms, dodging falling debris all the while. The roof was caving in now; the entire structure would collapse in mere minutes. Dimeria began ducking and twisting in order to evade the falling flames. The floor was covered in hot cinders as Dimeria ran on her toes to move quicker. A blazing fire took place of where her pack used to be and that's where Dimeria saw them: her dragon eggs.

They sat glowing in the orange and red fire, shining radiantly in Dimeria's eyes. They seemed to be shaking. With no hesitation, she gathered the eggs into her hands, disregarding the fact that she nearly burned the girl in her arms as she knelt over the fire. With the roof collapsing all around her, Dimeria sprinted out of the house holding the girl on her hip, and the eggs in her hands.

The fresh air as Dimeria exited the burning ruins behind her was like a punch in the face, though Dimeria welcomed it fully. She released the child to the ground who immediately ran to her mother to throw her arms around her neck as Dimeria doubled over while holding the eggs to her chest. They were still glowing beautifully, but Dimeria was too busy hacking her lungs up to take any notice.

"Thank you...thank you!" The child's mother rejoiced with joyful tears.

Dimeria looked up with a strained smile on her face as she wiped ash smudges away with her shoulder. She stood up straight then, revealing her prized treasures to everyone in sight. An immediate ripple of murmurs went through the crowd then, with many people pointing dirty fingers in her direction. Dimeria quickly tightened her grip around the eggs.

"Where did you get those?"

"Are they even yours?"

"Why do you have them?"

Many questions began being mumbled throughout the people, making Dimeria turn away to get away from them as fast as possible; the attention was no longer on the burning house, but on Dimeria and her dragon eggs. Their hungry eyes now turned vicious, glinting with dangerous sparkles of desire as they slowly shuffled behind her. Glancing over her shoulder, Dimeria saw the people staring after her, clearly wanting what she had in their possession. That was not an option in Dimeria's mind.

Quicker than the blink of an eye: she ran.

…

"She's running this way." The street child whispered breathlessly.

The man sighed dramatically as he closed his eyes in contemplation. "She does have a knack for stirring up trouble, doesn't she?" He said. The child continued standing in front of him, patiently waiting for his next orders. The man made up his mind. "Lead her here quickly. Try not to make too much of a scene."

The little boy scurried off back into the streets in search of Dimeria, though he didn't know why the girl was so important to his master; then again, he never knew why he did anything for his master, he just did it. Darting to and from shadows and in between streets, the boy swiftly made it back to Dimeria, hiding in a small alcove for when she finally came around to him. Her rapid steps and quick breaths signaled his moment and he stepped out of the darkness to stop in front of her. She came to an abrupt stop before him, just in time to keep from running him over completely. He saw the look of confusion and slight annoyance she had on her face at being stopped, but he paid no mind to it.

"Come with me." The boy said holding out his hand.

"Why?" Dimeria asked him suspiciously.

The boy had been through this routine many times. "He wants to see you."

"He?" Dimeria demanded from him.

The smallest hint of a smirk appeared on his face; he knew where to go from here. He turned away from Dimeria slowly and began jogging back towards his master, knowing fully well that Dimeria would follow him out of simple curiosity. Not even 5 seconds later, he heard Dimeria's steps behind him struggling to keep up with his small feet that knew exactly where to go.

She didn't realize it, but the young boy was leading her out of Flea Bottom and closer to the Red Keep once more. He turned into an alleyway that Dimeria would have completely missed if she hadn't been following him. The sounds of busy street life gradually faded behind her as they ran deeper into hidden spots. She ran after him into the alley, to stop short in her tracks after realizing the boy had completely disappeared. Dimeria furrowed her brows in confusion.

_What the hell?_ She asked herself. The day's events just seemed to be getting stranger and stranger; being kissed by Jaime Lannister, saving a girl from her burning home, and now a disappearing boy. Had King's Landing suddenly turned into a magic city?

Dimeria took a timid step further into the alley, looking left and right for the boy to see if he was hiding behind something.

"Don't worry about him...we won't be needing his help any further." A voice said behind her.

Dimeria spun to the new presence. "Lord Varys?" She said quizzically.

"Honestly, my lady, I would expect you to be a little more careful with such unique possessions in your hands." Varys said.

Dimeria shifted the dragon eggs in her hands. "He said you wanted to see me." Dimeria moved the topic away from them. "What's going on?"

Varys took a step forward without breaking eye contact. "I'm helping you."

"And why would you do that?" She asked suspiciously. Dimeria had had enough of people saying they were going to "help" her when they only ended up screwing her over.

"Because I believe in helping the Realm."

…

"My Lords and Ladies!" Joffrey called out. The people shuffled in closer to the Iron Throne. They had heard something special was to happen at court that day and they were excited to see what was about to happen.

"We've had a wonderful newcomer join us here in King's Landing; Lady Dimeria." He gestured towards Dimeria in the crowd, who stepped forward as he introduced her to all the people present at court.

"Most of you, along with myself, never thought she would amount to anything...being a bastard child and a female one at that…" Joffrey said smugly; he was lucky Dimeria was down in the crowd, or else he may have been punched in the face. Ignoring the snickers behind her, Dimeria kept her eyes locked on Joffrey, as she was previously instructed to do.

"But she has proved us all wrong. Lady Dimeria is an astounding warrior and as most of you know, saved the life of my mother, The Queen Regent; until my wedding day with Lady Margaery Tyrell, of course." The King sent an eerie grin over to Margaery, who returned a sickeningly sweet smile back to him.

Dimeria resisted the urge to roll her eyes; she needed to play this role perfectly, or else the plans would crumble to pieces.

Joffrey gave his attention back to the crowd then, stepping away from the Iron Throne to address them fully. "I have decided to reward Lady Dimeria for her heroics; and offered her the honor to become a guard for the royal family."

By this point, Dimeria was already standing in front of the steps before the Iron Throne and in clear view of everyone present. Patiently awaiting the moment for her to bend the knee and swear her loyalty to the throne and promise she would do anything to protect Prince Tommen; Dimeria forced herself to block out the stares and the slight gasps at hearing the news of a female guard.

"She will be protecting my younger brother, Prince Tommen, and whoever else shall need her service." Joffrey looked at Dimeria. "It is now time to make your oath of fealty, Lady Dimeria."

Murmurs of excitement rippled through the crowd. Stifling a large sigh, Dimeria knelt down and bent her head as she spoke her oath, though she really didn't understand the point. They were just words; they didn't mean anything, really. Anyone could go back on them with no problem at all…

Unless you were Ned Stark, of course…

Dimeria took a deep breath. "I, Dimeria, bastard of the north, do swear to serve and protect the royal family, the Lannisters; and to always remain loyal to the…"

She thought back to Varys' words from the day before.

"_Surely you are aware he is not the one true king?" He asked Dimeria._

"_Of course...everyone knows." Dimeria rolled her eyes._

"_Then why is Stannis Baratheon the only that has tried to stand up to him?"_

Dimeria shook the conversation away; this was all part of the plan. How the hell did she get caught up in all of this?

"...to the King, Joffrey Baratheon." Dimeria finished with a deep sigh. She bit her lip as she stood back up, though not one person noticed her obvious anxiety about the situation, for they were all applauding for her and the rest of the royal family.

Joffrey walked down the few steps to Dimeria, shaking her hand as if it were the highest privilege anyone could ever hope for. Other members of the Small Council followed suit; Tywin Lannister shaking her hand tightly, Tyrion embracing her hand with a small smile, Cersei placing a womanly kiss on her cheek, though she oddly seemed be showing slight repulsion at the action, and finally Lord Varys. The eunuch grasped her hand, placing a kiss on the back of it; not for a moment breaking eye contact as if they were having a secret conversation through their eyes.

"Congratulations, Lady Dimeria." He told her.

She said nothing in reply and let him walk away, standing in the midst of a crowd who would most likely never realize how important this moment was.

Once again, Dimeria was sent back to the conversation she had with Varys. She had always known he was a secretly powerful, and even dangerous man, but she had no idea that he would grow to have such an impact on her life.

"_What do I have to do with any of this?" Dimeria questioned Varys._

"_Everything, my dear." Varys said with the slightest hint of excitement. "You are a Targaryen."_

"_Barely! I'm only a bastard child."_

"_But still with Targaryen blood flowing through your veins." Varys insisted._

_Dimeria shook her head emphatically. "This is dangerous. The Queen has already told me to watch out for Margaery Tyrell, to ensure that Joffrey does not lose power; and now you're telling me to take his power away myself?!"_

"_Not take it away, but keep it at bay." Varys reassured her._

"_I don't want the Iron Throne." Dimeria argued._

"_But there is someone who does." Varys said. Still, Dimeria bit her lip with doubt; she wanted nothing to do with this, but Varys gave her no choice. "It matters not, my dear. Whether you like it or not, you will be a part in the game of thrones."_


	35. Chapter 36

Words couldn't describe the surprise Jaime felt when he was informed that Dimeria was to take her oath of loyalty to the King that day. It was a pleasant surprise, of course, but also a confusing one; hadn't she said she wanted to run away? Why had she come back?

Jaime couldn't stop thinking about Dimeria, especially their kiss. Should he have done it though? Should he really have kissed her? Everything that was on her mind at the moment, the last thing Dimeria needed to deal with was realizing that Jaime had feelings for her, but Jaime couldn't help himself; he just had to know what it was like to press his lips against hers.

During the small ceremony that Joffrey held at court for Dimeria, Jaime couldn't keep his eyes off of her. She was so sure-footed, as if she had rehearsed this very moment multiple times before, but Jaime could tell she was nervous; he could always tell by the way she bit her lip or the way she cast her beautiful eyes down to the ground. The entire time he was watching her though, Dimeria didn't once glance over at him. Did she know he was present?

Jaime shook his head. Even if Dimeria did know he was there, she wouldn't care; and that's what pained Jaime the most. She knew him, knew who he truly was and who he wanted to be instead of the Kingslayer. Jaime looked at Dimeria and saw his own sort of redemption through her eyes, but now that was gone. A tremendous aching in his heart plagued Jaime every time he thought of the hole that Dimeria's absence left.

Jaime couldn't live without her.

While Jaime was going through his rather bleak thought process, Dimeria had managed to escape from the court ladies to head back to her chambers for a few moments of privacy. Yes, Dimeria knew that Jaime had been watching her the entire time and although he should have been the least of her worries, the thought of him kept pushing to the forefront of her mind. She forced herself not to acknowledge him, even though it went against every other instinct in her body.

As she walked into her room, Dimeria gave herself a little pat on the back for ignoring Jaime, though it was all for nothing. A knock sounded on her door and she opened it to reveal the golden Lannister boy himself. A gasp nearly escaped Dimeria's lips, but she pinched her lips shut and let the anger she felt the previous day come back through to her face.

Seeing Dimeria up close always made Jaime's heart skip a beat, but he never really noticed it before; he obviously did now. An awkward silence enveloped the space between them, a tension so palpable that it seemed more like a wall was dividing them.

"I thought you were running away." Jaime said, breaking the silence.

"Someone persuaded me otherwise." Dimeria said, glaring at him.

"Really? Who might that be? I need to ask them how they did it; for future reference, of course." He said sarcastically.

"Lord Varys."

"Varys?" Jaime mused. "Interesting choice of companion."

"Yes, well, lately I've been reconsidering my choice of companionship." Dimeria said venomously.

Jaime sighed at the obvious insult regarding his betrayal towards her, but he said nothing to defend himself; Dimeria had every right to be angry with him.

"May I come in?" He asked her; they really needed to talk.

Conflict arose in Dimeria's mind just like it did every time she thought of Jaime. Part of her was still extremely furious at Jaime, another part wanted to forgive him right away, and another part just wanted to forget everything that happened and have Jaime kiss her passionately again.

Instead of acting on any of those urges, Dimeria put on an impassive mask and moved out of the way to let Jaime enter. Truly surprised that she let him in, Jaime hesitated slightly before taking a few steps. Walking around, he noticed how just the very atmosphere of the room had altered within a day; usually he and Dimeria could converse calmly like good friends, and now it felt as if they were complete enemies. Jaime looked around the room almost as if he were searching for some physical object that was throwing the feel of the room off. Two glowing objects caught his attention.

"Your dragons eggs...they're-"

"Glowing, I know." Dimeria interrupted Jaime. "They've never done that before." She said curiously. Like many times before, Dimeria found herself gazing at the eggs that hadn't stopped shining luminously since the day before. She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head to refocus. "Is there something you wanted to tell me?" Dimeria asked Jaime bluntly.

Jaime turned back towards her, deciding to ignore her question and ask Dimeria one himself. "Since when were you so trusting of Lord Varys?"

"I don't think that's any of your business." Dimeria said defensively.

"You used to tell me everything." Jaime pointed out.

"And I believed you did too, but I was wrong." Dimeria snapped.

Her words shut Jaime up immediately; it seemed she was just going to keep throwing that in his face until she was no longer angry with him, which would probably take a long time. Taking a deep breath, Jaime tried to move forward with the conversation.

"I'd be careful around him if I were you." He told her.

Dimeria wanted to come back with some witty remark, but she found nothing to say after hearing the true concern in Jaime's voice. It felt wrong not being honest with Jaime; that's what they'd always had: an honest relationship...or so she thought. She wanted to tell him everything: how Varys had convinced her to stay in King's Landing and why, but as much as she wanted to trust Jaime, she was scared to. It hurt her more than anything to know that he had kept such a vital part of her life away from her, but a tiny piece of her understood that Jaime held the information from her for her own benefit. Dimeria just wanted her friend back and after that kiss, it seemed as if she wanted more...that they **both** wanted more.

She couldn't give into that though, not right now anyway.

"Well, if that's it then…" Dimeria said, signaling she was ready for the conversation to be over. "I'll just be leaving. I only came back for my sword anyway. I was planning on meeting with Prince Tommen; I should get to know who I'm protecting, right?" She said, though she didn't know why she decided to tell Jaime her agenda for the day.

Jaime watched Dimeria pick up her sword, the sword that he had given to her as a gift. Pride entered his mind partially, though it was tempered with the realization that Dimeria was only still using the sword since it was the only weapon she had in her possession. She began to walk towards the door to leave him when he asked:

"Have you named it yet? Your sword…"

Dimeria thought about it for a moment before answering him. "I thought Oathkeeper sounded good."

And with that, Dimeria walked into the hallway to leave Jaime alone with his guilt. Not long after, Jaime exited her room and went the opposite way as Dimeria hoping that maybe distance would somewhat heal the gnawing pain in his heart.

Both of them left Dimeria's chambers though, not realizing that the glowing dragon eggs now had cracks through them.

…

Even though Cersei was considered the most beautiful woman in Westeros, it could easily be said that she never looked happy. The blonde beauty always had a scowl of hatred painted on her face, making her brilliant green eyes shine with malevolence.

"You seem angry." Lancel Lannister said, Cersei's cousin and her current sexual distraction at the time.

"You're an observant one, aren't you?" Cersei said sarcastically as they entered her chambers. As soon as she walked in, she immediately poured herself a goblet of wine and nearly drained it as soon as she brought it to her lips.

"Are you going to tell me why?" Lancel asked her.

Cersei looked up from her wine to regard Lancel. She thought of what he had just asked her; why was she mad? She sneered before answering. "Did you see the way my brother stared at Lady Dimeria today?"

"Lord Tyrion? No…" Lancel began, but was quickly cut off.

"No, not that monstrous imp, I'm talking about Jaime!" Cersei said with frustration as she poured herself more wine.

"No, I didn't see him staring at her." Lancel said timidly. "Is that why you're upset? Are you afraid that Lady Dimeria is stealing Ser Jaime's affections?" He asked inquisitively.

Cersei laughed at the suggestion. "I couldn't care less about who Jaime fucks anymore." She said crassly, though in truth, it occupied Cersei's mind for much of the time. She held the glass of wine with a vice-like grip. "Gods, I hate that bitch." She snarled.

Lancel stood startled at her exclamation. "You do? I thought you were…"

"Friends? Please, that little slut is no more than a little piece in my plans. Though her relationship with Jaime may inhibit the way I need things to play out."

"Your plans?" Lancel asked. "What do you mean?"

Cersei rolled her eyes and took another large swig of wine; it was times like these that Cersei missed having an intellectual partner like Jaime. Lancel was a blithering idiot.

"Yes, my plans. That girl is so naive...she seems to think that I actually like her. She's out of her element being in King's Landing; she doesn't know how to play people like everyone else does." Cersei mused. Taking another drink of wine and nearly draining the entire glass, Cersei's wheels began turning with the thoughts of her plan.

"Dimeria will do anything that I ask, not only because she thinks we're friends, but because the bitch just doesn't know anything better to do. That'll work out lovely for me...if Jaime doesn't ruin it."

Lancel was struggling to keep up with what Cersei was saying. "And...How will he ruin it?"

Cersei refilled her glass of wine, feeling that if she kept up this conversation any longer than necessary, she would have to drink an entire barrel of alcohol. "Jaime suddenly seems to not want anything to do with me and he also seems to have a problem with me befriending Dimeria, which is actually quite reasonable since I am only using her." Cersei began rambling on all of a sudden, the wine quickly taking affect.

She refocused herself. "If he suddenly decides to take action, he'll try to turn her against me."

Lancel furrowed his blonde brows at Cersei. "Will that honestly be that bad? I mean; it seems to me that you're the only one that sees her as some sort of threat." And it was true. No one thought of Dimeria and saw her as a danger. Tywin Lannister thought of her as an inexperienced brat, but admired her fighting skills; the Tyrells saw her as some distraction to keep their minds off of more important things, such as dealing with the Lannisters, and even King Joffrey only saw Dimeria as some new form of sadistic distraction.

Cersei turned to glare at him, the force of her anger almost strong enough to knock Lancel back a step. "That's because everyone else is an idiot!" She yelled. "They don't see the major players of the game; they don't see what everyone can do. But I do." Cersei said, sounding extremely paranoid. "I have to expect every twist and turn, if I don't...everything I've ever built up will be destroyed."

Disturbed at how intense Cersei had suddenly become, Lancel looked around the room nervously. "Well...what are you going to do then?" He asked.

"I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing. I'll keep playing the game of thrones; I'll keep outthinking everyone; and I'll get that little whore to do as I wish that way I stay ahead...it's not like she has much of a choice."

"And what if she doesn't listen to you?" Lancel dared to ask.

Cersei smirked and drained the last bit of wine. "Then I'll kill her."

…

No matter whom Dimeria passed by in the halls of the Red Keep, they all nodded their heads respectfully at her, or sometimes curtsied. Dimeria barely managed to return the gestures, her mind still spinning around the conversation she just had with Jaime. It felt good to reject Jaime the way she had, to make him feel just a little bit of the pain he had put her through; she seemed to get a high off of the words she said to him. If it had felt so good then though, why did she feel so horrible now?

Dimeria cursed herself as she made her way to Prince Tommen's chambers. Seven hells she hated having a conscience now. She thought back to the days at Castle Black where it seemed the only emotion she had was anger, but ever since she left The Wall things had changed. Dimeria actually **felt** things now along with her anger…Happiness, annoyance, and heartbreak...that one was perhaps the worst. For her entire life she had guarded herself in such a way that she could avoid heartache, but no matter what she did, those defenses fell to the power of the sharp blade that was her heart's anguish.

Life was so simple before; Dimeria had nothing to worry about.

_I wish I could just go back to that…_ Dimeria thought to herself. And who said she couldn't? Dimeria's somber demeanor perked up in that moment as she promised herself to go back to the old days, the days of logic and rationality. Where she didn't concern herself with the feelings of others and when she only did what needed to be done; that was the easiest way of doing things and would make her new route that Lord Varys had just put her on much simpler.

With a deep breath of determination, Dimeria nearly strutted up to Prince Tommen's door and knocked confidently upon the oaken door. It opened to reveal a young boy, not even past 10 and 5 years yet.

"Prince Tommen." Dimeria greeted him.

The prince narrowed his eyes the slightest bit. "Lady Dimeria…" Dimeria nodded her confirmation as she tried to read the expression he put on his face. "You're to be my new guard…" Tommen said slowly.

"I am...and for the rest of your family should they need me." Dimeria said as she held back a sigh. She waited for the backlash of the young boy at the thought that a woman would be protecting him. Dimeria had been raised around the convicts of Castle Black; she knew how easily their macho egos could be wounded and she expected Prince Tommen to be the same.

The warrior woman was in for a pleasant surprise though. "It's a pleasure to meet you, my lady." Tommen said with a genuine smile.

Dimeria blinked several times as she tried to clear up her astonishment. "And you as well, Prince Tommen." She said smiling back.

_He's so polite_..._how the hell is this Jaime's bastard son?!_

"Would you like to come in?" He offered Dimeria as he stepped back to let her in.

Dimeria nodded and she stepped in, taking in the extravagant room. When she had first arrived, Dimeria thought her room was over the top, but the Prince's room quickly humbled her opinion. Lush pillows with vibrant colors of red and gold were arranged neatly on his bed. Velvet covered furniture occupied much of the space and beautiful throw rugs were placed on the floor. Everything in the room had small golden adornments; swirls and shimmering streaks all over the deep oaken wood. Dimeria found herself spinning around gracefully to get a look at everything.

"My brother speaks about you quite a bit." Tommen said as he followed after her.

"Does he?" Dimeria said as she snapped out of her reverie. Why the hell would the King be talking about me so much?

"Yes, so do a lot of people, actually." Tommen began pouring a glass of wine for Dimeria.

She was caught quite off guard if she had to be honest; Dimeria wasn't quite sure how she felt about being the topic for so many different people.

_Stop…_ She told herself. _You don't care what people think about, remember?_

"Hm, I didn't know that." Dimeria said. "I really don't care honestly."

"Maybe you should care." Tommen said as he set down the pitcher of wine. "The things that people say about you here in King's Landing can either save your life, or kill you."

Tommen turned to offer her a glass of wine, but she shook her head in rejection; Dimeria didn't like to drink, it dulled the senses. Although, sometimes she wished she could drink all of her problems away like Tyrion seemed to do.

The prince blushed a bit the more he looked upon his new guard. The people gossiping were right: she truly was a beauty. He often heard Joffrey speaking about how it was too bad that Dimeria was a fierce fighter. "It would be too difficult to torture her like I do that Stark bitch." He said referencing Sansa. Tommen remembered watching his mother acquire a reptilian smile at his brother's comment, but he didn't say anything on the matter; Tommen had learned a long time ago to stay out of the politics that the rest of his family immersed themselves in.

"Yes, my brother speaks very highly of you though. Sometimes I think he finds you more interesting than me." He said shyly.

Dimeria offered him a small smile. "I'm sure that's not the case." Tommen's words of how Joffrey spoke so highly about her should've flattered her, but she found that it just made her stomach feel uneasy. Dimeria knew how cruel and sadistic Joffrey was and to have his sights set on her was a dangerous thing, whether he thought well of Dimeria or not, he could still do wicked things to harm her.

Setting her blue eyes back on Tommen, she cleared her mind of all her unsettling thoughts. "Well, since I'm to be your guard, you can come to me for whatever you need, I suppose. I'm not entirely sure what all guarding you entails."

Tommen began listing things off for Dimeria. "You guard me of course, especially when we go out into the city. I could have you take care of different tasks for me...just whatever I need, I guess..." He chuckled realizing that he also didn't really know what else he would have Dimeria do for him.

Silence fell between the two, neither of them knowing what else to say to each other. Just as Dimeria was about to signal her leaving, Tommen spoke:

"King Joffrey says that you're a very talented swordsman."

Dimeria furrowed her brows, thinking it very strange that Tommen would use the proper title for his own brother, but then realized that Joffrey probably made everyone address him as King whether they were family or not.

"I can defend myself pretty well." She said, feeling as if she shouldn't talk herself up. To be honest, Dimeria never really thought of herself as an expert with a sword.

"I always wanted to learn to fight with a sword, but my brother always told me I was too stupid and weak to do it." Tommen said sadly.

"You can do it...if you really want to, you can do anything." Dimeria encouraged him; she thought it ridiculous that Joffrey would be so harsh to his own brother, but she wasn't actually surprised.

"Do you think so?" Tommen asked feeling that he needed reassurance. It was here that Dimeria could really tell how young the Prince was and she almost felt badly for him.

"Of course. Your Uncle is the best swordsman in Westeros...you have the perfect resources right at your fingertips." Dimeria forced herself to leave Jaime's name out of it, hoping that keeping it off of her tongue would help her forget about him

Tommen looked at Dimeria thoughtfully as he considered her words. "You know, he says you're a wonderful swordsman too." The prince said cheerfully.

Butterflies began fluttering round and round her stomach. Jaime said she was a good swordfighter?

_Don't…_ Dimeria scolded herself. _It doesn't matter what Jaime said…_

"What did he say?" Dimeria betrayed her own mind.

"He said he's never seen a more passionate fighter than you, that if it came down to it, you'd be a better warrior than him."

A weight dropped in Dimeria's stomach at the kind words Jaime had said about her. Why would he say things like that, but then betray her? Not feeling like speaking to Prince Tommen any longer, Dimeria excused herself from his quarters. When he offered to escort her back to her own chambers, Dimeria had to practically force a polite response from her mouth since she was so agitated.

Going back to her old, emotionless self was going to be harder than Dimeria had expected.

…

Dimeria spent the entire walk back to her chambers trying to reassure herself that everything was going to be okay. The plan Varys was currently concocting would work out in the end; he was an incredibly smart man after all.

"_You need to get on their good side." He told Dimeria. "It'll take someone on the inside to truly bring them down."_

She remembered shaking her head at the eunuch when he told her she was to go undercover. Dimeria wasn't meant to be a secretive spy or anything along those lines; she was the most straightforward person there was and she preferred full on confrontation rather than the backstabbing that went on in King's Landing. Varys convinced her to go along with the plan, though Dimeria didn't exactly have that many options.

"Forget about Jaime and focus on the plan…" Dimeria muttered to herself. "You can do this Dimeria. Once Jaime is out of the picture, you won't have anymore distractions. She opened the door to her room not realizing that she was about to walk in on one of the biggest distractions and obstacles she had ever faced.

As Dimeria made it to the opposite side of her room to head towards her bed, she nearly fainted.

There on the ground, were 2 baby dragons sitting in the shattered pieces of their broken eggs.


	36. Chapter 37

_**A/N: Thank you so much for all of the reviews and follows from last chapter. I was particularly excited about posting that chapter for obvious reasons. This part has quite a bit of Jaime/Dimeria action that hopefully you'll enjoy. Thanks again!**_

* * *

Lord Varys was not an easy man to surprise, mainly because he was always several steps ahead of everyone else, but when Dimeria came sprinting into his private chambers claiming that her dragons had hatched, he was flabbergasted. Dimeria's cheeks were flushed from her panicked state, her hair hanging in frizzed strands around her face, and her chest heaved with labored breaths.

"My lady, you need to calm down." Varys tried to tell her. He did not particularly fear people overhearing her; his rooms were isolated from everybody else and with Littlefinger no longer at King's Landing for the time, he wasn't worried about any other spies listening in.

"How the hell am I supposed to calm down?!" Dimeria exclaimed. Seven hells, DRAGONS?! When she had first gotten the eggs she had wished they would hatch, but that was only because she never in her wildest dreams thought it would happen. Now her dreams were becoming reality, or perhaps more like a nightmare.

She began pacing about his room, biting her lip with a frenzied look in her eyes. Images of the baby dragons flew in and out of her mind. "Gods, they've probably already set my room on fire!" Dimeria panicked.

"I doubt that…" Varys muttered, finding Dimeria's fragile state rather annoying.

Dimeria spun on him angrily. "Why are you so calm!?"

Varys shrugged nonchalantly. The eunuch was incredibly stunned by the news, but letting unexpected surprises compromise you was dangerous; he wouldn't let it get the best of him. Besides, with Dimeria now having dragons, it only increased the power of his plan...as long as they kept it a secret.

"I believe I have a plan…" He said secretively.

Dimeria scoffed in disbelief. "There's no way you could have a plan for this...not even **you.**" She turned away from him. Dimeria wasn't entirely sure why she had run to Varys in the first place; she supposed it was probably because she hoped that he would have a way to hide the dragons.

_Accept it, Dimeria...You're probably going to die._ Dimeria sighed greatly. _At least you had a pretty good run…_

Varys suddenly lived up to her hopes. "I can hide them away, Lady Dimeria. For the time being anyway; they will get bigger." He said as if Dimeria didn't already know the dragons would grow.

"Where would you keep them?" She asked as she began to calm down slightly.

"Down in the deepest dungeons." Varys said as if the answer was obvious. "They should feel somewhat normal being around the skeletons of their ancestors."

Dimeria remembered Jaime telling her that all of the dragon skulls and the skeletons were kept in the dungeons; hardly anyone went down there for fear of the Targaryen 'pets' apparently.

"I'm sure they'd feel more normal being out in the open instead of under a Castle." Dimeria grumbled. Varys tilted his head to the side with a curious expression on his face that did not go unnoticed by Dimeria. "What the hell are you staring at?" She snapped.

"Funny, you took one look at your dragons and ran, yet here you are already having maternal instincts."

Only able to sigh in response, Dimeria found a seat in the room and dropped her head in her hands. Gods, her life sucked. Why couldn't anything go right for her? She finally made it to King's Landing only to find out that she was the daughter of a mad bastard; Jaime, probably her best friend, kept one of the most important things in her life a secret from her, and now she had pet dragons while she was currently serving the Lannisters who wanted any and everything that had to do with the Targaryens destroyed.

_Well, they're probably going to want to destroy you next…_ She thought to herself.

Dimeria wasn't sure of the last time she had felt such stress; except maybe when she was kidnapped by Locke, at least back then she had Jaime to rely on; she didn't even have that any longer. She felt like she didn't have anyone on her side besides Varys and even then, any alliance with the Spider wasn't set in stone. There was no one there to help her, no one that she could share her struggles with. Dimeria only had her own shoulders to bear this heavy weight and she already felt as if she was collapsing under the pressure. She was completely alone in the world.

"Stress is not your most endearing look, my lady, if I may be so honest." Varys said.

A humorless laugh seeped out of Dimeria's lips. "I suppose it doesn't really matter now." She said.

"And why is that?" Vary asked curiously.

"We may as well accept the fact that I'm going to die. Anyone could find my dragons; then they would go and tell the King and he would make my head the newest decoration on a spike." Dimeria said in a rush. "It would be a lot easier if I would accept it."

Varys came to sit next to Dimeria then, with strange smile on his face. "If you've noticed anything here in King's Landing, my lady; nothing is set in stone."

…

Dimeria had no clue how Varys did it, but she didn't bother spending much time trying to figure it out; there really was no point in trying to find out how he managed to sneak her dragons down to the dungeons. Even with them gone, Dimeria still stood tensely in her chambers with paranoia. She felt as if her room would burst into flames at any moment and then Lannister guards would come and drag her to the Sept of Baelor for everyone to watch her head get chopped off.

Her lip was now red and raw since she hadn't stopped biting it since her conversation with Varys. If anyone had come in to see her hair, they might have thought that she had been electrocuted from the frazzled state it was in. Dimeria didn't want to see anyone, she was too afraid that they would be able to see right through her and figure out her secret. As she sat at her window nervously chewing her lip, Dimeria found herself wishing Jaime was with her. He would be comforting her with his honest words that would probably be considered rude by most people, but she had always found truth in them. Dimeria envisioned his green eyes looking into her blue orbs, telling her that everything would be okay. Before she knew it, a tear dribbled down her cheek and she quickly wiped it away; crying wasn't going to help her situation, but she just didn't know what else to do.

She kept her door locked for the rest of the day. It had only been that morning that she had been sworn in as a guard for Prince Tommen, but with everything that had just happened, it felt like it had happened weeks ago. Dimeria didn't allow anyone into her room except for one of her handmaidens.

"Are you alright, mi'lady?" The young girl asked her. Dimeria had finally trained her handmaidens not to talk so much, but this one could tell that Dimeria was out of sorts, so she had to ask.

"Yes, I'm fine." Dimeria answered too quickly.

"My apologies, I was only asking." The girl said sheepishly.

"Well don't, because I'm fine." Dimeria snapped at her. The handmaiden had been there for less than 5 minutes delivering her dinner, but Dimeria wanted her out right away.

Once her job was done, the girl headed to the door, but turned back asking Dimeria if there was anything else she needed. A part of Dimeria wanted to tell the girl to go Jaime, but she felt as if he wouldn't help her; she had said such harsh words to him earlier that day, there was no way he would help her out of this mess now.

"Just go." Dimeria said bluntly.

Without another word, the girl left the room and left Dimeria in her paranoid thoughts. She barely picked at her food, though she had hardly eaten anything the entire day. Sitting on her bed, Dimeria began picturing all the different tortures Joffrey would inflict upon her if he ever found out she had dragons. Her breathing suddenly began coming in short rasps and she unconsciously started clenching her hands.

Were the walls beginning to close in on her? Dimeria felt as if she was quickly running out of air, the room becoming uncomfortably stuffy and warm around her. Her entire body was tensed up as she tried holding her limbs closer to herself to consolidate space. Dimeria's eyes suddenly glazed over, seeing nothing, yet at the same time seeing every horrible thing that was going to happen to her.

She couldn't take it anymore. Throwing her dinner against her wall, Dimeria jumped up and backed up against the door, rubbing her temples and squeezing her eyes shut to force herself back to a normal state of mind.

"I need air…" Dimeria breathed out. And with that, Dimeria left her room and went to the only place in King's Landing that she had ever been able to think clearly.

…

The water was still that night, but small waves were still crashing on the stones over by the training area Dimeria and Jaime used. Dimeria remembered when the water brought her fear and panic, but after what Jaime had done, she felt so much more comfortable around the waves. Tears ran down her cheeks as she stared blankly at the white-tipped crests. There was no way she would make it in King's Landing alive; even with the help of Varys hiding her dragons, she would surely be found out.

Dimeria stood and walked on the edge of the training space, close enough to the water that small droplets began splashing upon her boots. Gods, Dimeria just wanted to quit; she didn't want to play this game anymore. No matter how hard she tried, Dimeria just couldn't go back to the way things used to be, to the way **she** used to be; and the sooner she accepted that the better.

But it was just so hard.

Dimeria kept telling herself that she just needed time; things would eventually work themselves out, but she didn't have time, not in King's Landing. Deep breaths were forced in and out of her lungs, only partially calming her heartbeat down. She walked back and forth along the edge, occasionally dipping her toe into the water just as a little reminder to herself that she wasn't afraid. She felt helpless; there was nothing left for her to do. So many times she had gotten out of sticky situations, but Dimeria just didn't see how she would make it out of this one. She turned to face Blackwater Bay, looking out over the wavered reflection of the full moon on the water. All Dimeria wanted was a way out, a way to end it all…

…

Jaime rushed to their old training spot as quickly as he could without being too noticeable.

"She needs your help, Ser Jaime." Was what Varys had told him. "She's in trouble." Part of Jaime was hurt when he was informed that Dimeria got herself into trouble and didn't go to him for help right away, but he understood why; she was still upset with him.

As soon as the knight of the Kingsguard had taken off, Varys smiled to himself. Jaime truly did have strong feelings for Dimeria, which the eunuch quickly realized would end up working out well for him. The fact that Jaime Lannister was no longer within the clutches of his sister only meant that her hold was loosening; and with Dimeria working as an undercover Lannister confidante, the power of the Lannisters would quickly become undermined just like he wanted.

That's what was important: making sure the Lannisters were usurped from the throne. Not only did he have Tyrion Lannister as an ally, but also Dimeria and hopefully Jaime fairly soon. Varys knew that Jaime was who Dimeria needed, she needed someone to go through this game with since she had never experienced anything like it before; and even though Jaime was not particularly a major player in the game, he could still help Dimeria. The eunuch only hoped that Dimeria would quell her anger long enough to forgive Jaime and work with him again.

The hour was late as Jaime made his way to Dimeria, he wasn't quite sure if that was a good thing or not. He ran down the steps, praying to the Seven that she was okay. Their training area was a very secluded place, known only by a few people; who knew what could be happening to Dimeria?

He rounded a corner to see Dimeria standing at the edge of the water, almost looking like she was about to jump…

"Dimeria!" Jaime screamed as he ran towards her.

He sprinted up to her and wrapped his arms around Dimeria's waist, pulling her backwards as they both fell to the ground. Dimeria grunted away the initial pain of falling down and quickly scrambled to her feet away from Jaime.

"What the hell are you doing, Lannister?!" Dimeria raged at him.

"Stopping you!" He yelled as he stood back up.

Dimeria nearly laughed at the ridiculous accusation Jaime was making. "Oh please, I'm not going to kill myself." She said as she brushed herself off.

"Then what the hell were you doing?!" Jaime questioned her.

"I was looking out over the water, is that suddenly a crime now?!" Dimeria argued. Seven hells, with how stupid Jaime was being, Dimeria began wondering why she missed him so much.

Jaime shook his head and looked out over Blackwater Bay himself, trying to catch his breath after exerting himself to save Dimeria's life that wasn't actually in danger.

_Why the hell did Varys send me out here then?_ Jaime asked himself, but he didn't speak his thoughts out loud; there was no point in trying to unwind the The Spider's dangerous web.

Tense silence filled the air as Jaime and Dimeria turned their backs on each other in anger, but neither of them willing to be the one to leave. Once Jaime had caught his breath, he was the one to start the conversation:

"Why are you out here?" He asked Dimeria.

"I needed to think." She nearly grumbled. _And maybe I would've gotten things figured out if you hadn't have tackled me._ Dimeria thought.

"You do know this is where Tyrion's sellsword, Bronn, brings his whores, don't you?" Jaime said.

"Yes, I know...he's already been here." Dimeria snarled. Jaime sent her a strange look. "No, I was not the one he was fucking." She said crassly.

"I never said you were…" Jaime said, bringing his hands up slightly to signal surrender.

Dimeria spun on him dangerously then, shooting daggers with her eyes. "Well, I'm only telling you that for your own benefit; it is vital information after all." She said with pure hatred in her voice. Jaime gritted his teeth in anger at the fact that Dimeria was once again throwing this in his face. Dimeria continued on her rant:

"And when one has vital information, it should be shared...for the welfare of the other person, of course. That's just my opinion, though…" Dimeria said venomously.

Stabs of anger went through Jaime's body, but he said nothing to defend himself. Dimeria had a right to be angry, but Jaime was becoming increasingly pissed off that Dimeria kept using that betrayal against him. Clenching his fists in irritation, Jaime turned away from Dimeria, though he could feel her bright blue eyes bearing into his back.

Jaime's lack of response only fueled her even further to make painful digs at him. If he was going to lie and hurt her, then she sure as hell was going to get her revenge.

"Oh? The great Jaime Lannister has nothing to say?" She taunted Jaime; he squeezed his eyes shut to reign in his anger.

"I never realized the son of the mighty Tywin Lannister could be silenced by a lowly bastard girl, but of course, no one else had ever been brave enough to point out what an arrogant prick he was!" She continued.

Jaime's knuckles were quickly turning white from how tightly he was clenching his hands. He forced himself to breath through his nose to stop himself from unleashing his fury, but Dimeria was pushing him far too hard; if his eyes hadn't been shut, he would only be seeing red in his outright rage.

Dimeria laughed sarcastically. "Well, I guess the golden Lannister boy isn't perfect. No wonder they call him the Kingslayer." And just as Jaime had thrown in the fact that her parents had abandoned her when he was trying to get her snap out of her stupor long ago, Dimeria threw the fact he had murdered the Mad King right back in his face.

Jaime's rage finally began to boil over as he quickly spun around, faster than Dimeria had expected, and slammed her against the rock wall, pinning her shoulders with his hands. His body towered over Dimeria's, though he knew that wouldn't intimidate her whatsoever.

"I've never struck a woman in my life, but you're very close to pushing me over the edge, little warrior." He threatened Dimeria. He didn't raise his voice at all, which was what frightened Dimeria the most. His face was barely an inch from hers, his breath spreading across her face and, much to her dismay, sending thrilling chills down her body.

Knowing she had gone too far, but not wanting to back down and show weakness, Dimeria lowered her voice when she spoke to him next, but she didn't remove her gaze from Jaime's intense green eyes.

"Why didn't you just tell me?" She asked him.

It was Jaime's turn to show resolve in their argument now. He released his grip on Dimeria's shoulders, only to drop his right hand down to grasp her wrist. Sighing as he closed his eyes in contemplation, he leaned his forehead against Dimeria's and was surprised she she didn't move away.

Gods, Jaime didn't know what he was going to say. He could keep giving her the excuse that he was trying to keep her safe, but he knew that wasn't the truth. The truth was that Jaime just couldn't bear the thought of Dimeria hating him when she found out that he had been the one to murder her father. He had kept it a secret from her and still Jaime had gotten the same outcome. Dimeria brought out the best in Jaime, what would happen to him if she hated him forever and he lost her?

It was a thought Jaime didn't want, but he also didn't want to admit to Dimeria that he had such a weakness for her.

_You already kissed her, what's there to lose?_

The idea suddenly came into his mind. What did he have to lose? Jaime sighed and brought his other hand up to tuck a lock of stray hair away from Dimeria's face.

"I killed your father, Dimeria. I...I just couldn't stand the thought of you hating me." Jaime said softly, so softly that if he hadn't been resting his forehead against Dimeria's, she wouldn't have heard him.

Jaime hated sounding so weak and vulnerable; it wasn't what a warrior was supposed to be. Even Dimeria herself hated showing her emotions, yet Jaime was unloading all of his feelings on her. If it had been Cersei that he was confessing all of this to, he would've been laughed at, but Dimeria wasn't casting him aside like Cersei would have. It was another reason that Jaime was glad he was no longer caught within his twin sister's clutches.

Dimeria sighed before she replied to Jaime. "You kept it a secret and I'm still mad...I don't understand what you thought would be different."

"I was going to tell you. Back when I first met you I had known. We got stuck together on that road to King's Landing and there were times I was going to tell you, but each time I kept putting it off...because each time it became clearer and clearer that I could lose you. And I was afraid that if I told you what I had done to Aerys Targaryen, I would lose the dearest friend I've ever had in my entire life." Jaime's grasp on Dimeria's wrist had become tighter, almost as if it was his lifeline.

His words were incredibly sincere, so sincere to the point that Dimeria had absolutely no doubt that he was being honest. Their bodies were still so close that she could almost feel Jaime's quickened heartbeat and Dimeria was sure that he could feel hers. She began to feel her anger slowly dissipate as he confessed to her, but Dimeria just didn't know what to say to him; he had betrayed her trust, that wasn't just something she could forget.

"I trusted you, Jaime. If you had told me back then, I would've been just as angry, but I would've forgiven you." Dimeria said quietly as a tear managed to leak out of her eye.

Jaime brought his hand up to wipe the tear from her face and so that he could cup her cheek in his hand to bring her eyes up to his. "And could you forgive me now?" He dared to ask her.

Dimeria could see all of Jaime's emotions through his eyes; the anguish, the sorrow, and even the slightest sign of hope that she would forgive him.

She closed her eyes before she spoke. Dimeria had held a grudge against Aemon and Jeor for not telling her who she was and it hadn't helped her whatsoever. If she was going to learn anything from that, it was that some grudges weren't worth the time. But could she just forget this?

"I don't know, Jaime." Dimeria told him. "I really don't know."

* * *

_**Just a little heads up, I will be taking a little break for a couple of weeks. I will continue to write so I can get ahead, so no worries there :) I hope you enjoyed this chapter; I really enjoyed writing the conversation with Jaime &amp; Dimeria.**_

_**Remember to leave reviews!**_

_**Until next time...**_


	37. Chapter 38

_**A/N: Alright, alright...the hiatus is over. Get to reading! :)**_

* * *

"Perhaps you just need a good fucking." Tyrion told Jaime.

Jaime scowled at his younger brother's crass words, but only shook his head in response. Gods, he was exhausted. Not long after Dimeria had told him that she didn't know if she could forgive him, she left Jaime alone in their training area. He sat there in the moonlight, his heart barely beating in his chest. He would've been okay with her straight up saying 'no', at least then he would've had some closure. But with Dimeria not swaying either way, Jaime was left in a state of limbo, not knowing or unknowing.

Not particularly sure where he was going, Jaime's legs began taking him back up to the castle. Before he knew it, he was knocking on his little brother's door, his heart heavy with grief. Jaime didn't go to him to drink, didn't go to him for any specific advice; he just needed some company now that he didn't have Dimeria.

"And by that I mean you need to be with Dimeria." Tyrion clarified.

Jaime sighed and rubbed a hand across his stubbly face. "Do you think I haven't tried? Why do you think I'm here?"

"Because you're a love-stricken, pathetic fool." Tyrion seemed pleased with himself that it was his seemingly perfect older brother that was suffering, but nonetheless; he still felt badly for Jaime.

"I seem to remember you being the same way, little brother." Jaime shot back as he rubbed his temple.

Tyrion stifled the pain and irritation the comment brought up before speaking. "Yes, and as your little brother, I've decided to help spare you from experiencing the pain that comes along with that."

"Too late…" Jaime mumbled.

"Oh, lighten up, Jaime. It's not too late to fix things." Tyrion said as he poured some wine.

Frustration lit up inside of Jaime then, bringing life to his unanimated face as he spoke. "Well it seems like it is! I tried apologizing...I've given her time. What more does she need?!"

Jaime clenched his fists. Closing his eyes in contemplation, he tried remembering the last time a woman had made him so exasperated. Cersei came to mind, of course, but now that was different. He never truly loved Cersei, not as a lover like he thought he did, but Dimeria…

Dimeria arose a multitude of feelings in Jaime that he didn't know were possible to feel all at the same time: Compassion and irritation, joy and anger, peace and absolute turmoil...everything felt conflicted when he was with Dimeria, yet it also felt perfect. Absolutely perfect.

Tyrion handed a goblet of wine to his brother. "She needs to be reassured. You betrayed her trust…"

"Yes...I know." Jaime growled out.

"She needs someone to comfort her, she needs someone that she can confide in." Tyrion explained.

"And I suppose I'm the one that has to gain back her trust."

"Of course." Tyrion said cheerfully. Jaime rolled his eyes. "Don't doubt yourself, dear brother. You're the most handsome man in Westeros. You've won that girl's heart before, who says you can't do it again?"

...

"You seem rather preoccupied today, Lady Dimeria." Margaery Tyrell said as they walked through the rose gardens together.

Dimeria brought her gaze away from the fallen rose petals on the ground and refocused on Margaery. The Tyrell beauty had her large blue eyes fixed upon Dimeria with concern. The 2 women had only limited interaction; the small tea time they had weeks ago being the only time they'd had alone, but now Margaery decided she wanted to spend a little more time with Dimeria.

"Yes, I suppose I am." Dimeria agreed.

It had been 2 days since her confrontation with Jaime...since she told him that she didn't know if she could forgive him. They had seen each other several times within the Red Keep now that they were both guards, but every time Jaime looked as if he were about to speak with her, Dimeria avoided him.

"Something you'd like to speak about?" Margaery asked kindly.

An urge to say yes to Margaery arose in Dimeria's mind, but she squelched the desire; she had a job to do.

_Remember what Cersei told you…_ Dimeria reminded herself.

She fisted her hands in the skirts of her dress. The Queen had requested Dimeria's assistance that day, saying that she had an important job for her to do. Dimeria agreed to help without hesitation, but that was before Cersei told her to do some digging on Margaery.

Margaery could see the uncertainty on Dimeria's features. "You can tell me, Lady Dimeria." She tried to comfort the bastard girl.

Dimeria considered her words carefully. How could she turn the conversation in such a way that she would be able to get the information Cersei wanted?

"It's just...I've been rather stressed out lately because of...guarding the Lannisters." She said softly.

A smile appeared on Margaery's face. "They can be quite stressful sometimes, can't they?" A chuckle escaped her lips.

Dimeria followed suit and planned out in her head how she could get Margaery to talk. "Surely it isn't that difficult for you. I mean, you're to be King Joffrey's wife; I would imagine their entire family is kind to you."

The customary smile on Margaery's face suddenly started looking very strained as she progressed further into the conversation. "Lady Dimeria, I know you're new here in King's Landing, but surely you cannot actually think that any of the Lannisters are genuinely kind." She said.

Dimeria thought for a moment about all the Lannisters. The first one that came to mind as being kind was Tommen, but hell, for all she knew it could just be a facade. "I think they're kind to the people that they need to please for their own benefit." She said after a moment. Margaery sent her a curious look. "And from what I've been told, the Lannisters are in debt and need your money-or should I say, your family's money."

"They do need my family's money, and our support." Margaery said.

Dimeria began pushing the conversation in a slightly different direction. "Your family is very kind for helping the crown. I'm sure most families would hesitate to help the Lannisters." The bastard girl felt wrong doing this. Dimeria wasn't meant for lies and sneaky tricks and she had no clue how to subtly get information out of anyone; her usual tactic was to just beat up whoever she was speaking to.

"Believe me, the Lannisters aren't the only ones benefitting from my marriage to King Joffrey." Margaery said with a mischievous smile.

A puzzled look came upon Dimeria's face; she, being clueless to the deceit in King's Landing, didn't have any idea what Margaery really wanted. She wanted to be the Queen, she wanted to have power...She wanted to **rule**. And she would do anything to get what she wanted.

After biting her lip for a moment, Dimeria spoke. "I'm glad that you're happy with this arrangement. I know I wouldn't react well to an arranged marriage."

Margaery closed her eyes to stop from rolling them. Gods, Dimeria truly was naive! Her grandmother had warned Margaery that since Dimeria was now working for the Lannisters, she would no doubt become one of their spies. Margaery remembered telling her grandma that Dimeria was not accustomed to the ways of King's Landing and was quickly realizing she was correct. Dimeria had no clue how to subtly extract information from anyone.

"_Perhaps we can use that against the poor fool…" _Margaery's grandmother had said.

Margaery looked over to Dimeria to consider what she wanted to say. She didn't see the bastard girl as a threat; she didn't even know how to trick people, but Margaery knew her grandmother would scold her if she were too careless.

"Of course you would be upset with an arranged marriage, Lady Dimeria." Margaery said. "You're a free spirit, born to do whatever your heart desires no matter how foolish that desire may be."

Dimeria furrowed her brows at the backwards compliment, but continued listening.

"A person like you cannot be bound to a cage, but I, on the other hand, was practically bred to live a life dictated by other people. People like you fight their way through, only hoping and praying that blunt force will get them where they want; late Robert Baratheon is an example."

The urge to defend herself against Margaery's words leapt in Dimeria's chest, but she held back the irritation knowing that what Margaery was saying was absolutely true.

"I play my cards when and where I need to in order to get on top. If I play them right, nobody will ever push me back down the way you'll get pushed down because they won't even see me coming." Margaery turned her eyes back to Dimeria, a wicked glint shining within them. "As a foolish young girl with a spirit such as yours, I would be upset with my marriage. As the woman I am though, I'm more than pleased about it because it means that everything is going as planned."

Dimeria was stunned by the subtle, yet more than evident slanders Margaery was throwing her way. She had always thought the Tyrell girl to be sweet, but she clearly underestimated her. As Margaery excused herself to go back to her grandmother, Dimeria tried to remember they way she had spoken; she spoke with such grace and knew exactly how to walk directly on the line separating kindness from flat out rudeness, but no matter how hard Dimeria tried, she just couldn't figure how to play the game of thrones.

…

Dimeria kicked stones on her way back into the Red Keep. She hated King's Landing and all of its' inhabitants.

_You don't hate Tyrion…_ Her mind said.

"Shut up." Dimeria grumbled to herself.

_And you definitely don't hate Jaime…_

"Shut up!" She said louder, drawing stares from people walking by. Rolling her eyes, Dimeria increased her pace to go back to Cersei and tell her what she found out, or rather, what she **didn't **find out.

A deep frown was drawn upon her face as she walked to halls. People were hurrying about all over the place; King Joffrey's wedding was coming up quickly causing everybody in King's Landing to be in an uproar.

The conversation with Lady Margaery had set Dimeria on edge. _I'm not a stupid foolish girl…_ Dimeria thought to herself._ She's the stupid one. What sort of idiot lets others dictate their life…?!_ Huffing as she went further along, Dimeria debated with herself in an effort to convince her mind that she wasn't the weird one. Hatred for Margaery Tyrell filled her then. At first she couldn't even process what the woman had said to her, but now that she had time to dwell on it, Dimeria was quickly deciding that the Tyrells were not anyone she wanted to be associated with.

_Who the hell does she think she is...telling me how stupid I am for living my life…_

There was nothing wrong with what Dimeria was doing in her own mind, and if anyone tried to tell her otherwise; well, they had another thing coming.

Irritation blocking any of her normal senses, Dimeria didn't bother knocking on Cersei's chamber doors before she walked in. She slammed the door shut and crossed her arms over her chest with a scowl set upon her face.

Dimeria could see the clear discontent on Cersei's face, but she didn't care at the time; she was still too frustrated.

"Did you talk to her?" Cersei asked, pushing away the displeasure she felt upon seeing the bastard girl's face. Cersei couldn't afford to let her hatred for Dimeria get the better of her; she needed any ally she could get and so far, Dimeria was the easiest one to manipulate to do her will.

"Yes." Dimeria snapped.

Cersei inhaled sharply. "I suspect you already know that you should never keep a Queen waiting, but if you haven't learned that yet…" She left the threat open ended to let Dimeria figure out the danger herself.

Stifling a sigh, Dimeria unfolded her arms to place them on her hips before she spoke. "She's pleased with the marriage...she said that it means her plans are going accordingly." Dimeria said bitterly.

Cersei's rage towards Dimeria was suddenly redirected at Margaery. She scowled as she talked. "Yes, her plans to ruin my entire family…" She mused. Cersei looked up to view Dimeria and saw that the girl had began fidgeting with her hands, obviously anxious to leave. "What else did she say?"

Dimeria didn't bother hiding her sigh this time; she was definitely not in the mood to scheme with Cersei. "Nothing, that's all." She told her.

Disappointment settled upon Cersei's fair features. "That's it? That's all you could find out?"

"You told me to get as much information as I could; that's what I did."

Cersei took a moment to reign in her annoyance. Dimeria was still under the pretense that they were friends; if Cersei wanted to keep using her as a tool, she couldn't ruin the facade she had built up.

"I was expecting you could get a little more than that." She said through gritted teeth. Cersei honestly didn't know why she expected any more than what she got from Dimeria; the bastard girl was a moron!

Dimeria's nerves prickled like the spines of a porcupine. It took every ounce of self-control she had not to scream at the Queen; that and the fear of what would happen if she did yell at her. "I'm not one of your spies, Your Grace. I'm supposed to be a guard for your family. If you wish to extract information from your enemies, or...whatever the Tyrell's are to you, then I suggest you ask Lord Varys." Dimeria said with a tight throat. "That's what he specializes in, is it not?" Dimeria's muscles were pulled tight with tension; she was a horse ready to buck. Gods, she was so tired of playing the role of some undercover spy for both Varys and Cersei.

Cersei's eyes blazed with surprise and anger. What the hell just happened?

_Did that orphan bitch just defy me?!_ Cersei's mind screamed. Bitter and sharp words wanted to fly from Cersei's mouth, but she could form none; the shock was too much. Cersei had based her plans off of the fact that Dimeria didn't know any better than to do what she said and while it was true that Dimeria was naive; Cersei hadn't expected her to so blatantly disagree to her orders.

The Queen took a breath to reorganize her thoughts. "Yes, I suppose you're right." She said through pursed lips. New plans began forming in her mind in order to compensate for the fact that Dimeria could not spy on her enemies for her. The girl had gotten people to like her by being herself, though Cersei didn't know what about her personality was so enticing; perhaps that's what she had to get Dimeria to do: just do her job, but keep her eyes and ears open.

Cersei turned away from Dimeria, for her brilliant blue eyes and that white streak of hair were only enraging her even further. "I'll make sure not to compromise you, or my plans by forcing you to spy anymore." She said bitterly.

A sigh of relief escaped from Dimeria. "Thank you, Your Grace." She said as she turned to leave.

"I would have you keep in mind Lady Dimeria, you were accepted very quickly here in King's Landing, but I can get rid you even quicker if need be." Cersei said, not feeling content until she had threatened Dimeria.

A twitch in Dimeria's hand drove her to reach for the sword at her waist, but there was none there since she was in a gown for the day. She escaped from Cersei's chambers and walked down the hall as quickly as possible until the weight of what had just transpired hit her.

"Seven hells, Dimeria. You're a fucking idiot…" She said to herself as she leant up against the wall.

Dimeria scolded herself for being so careless. _You're not talking to just anyone, Dimeria. That was Cersei Lannister, the Queen!_ It was a wonder that Cersei hadn't called for members of the Kingsguard to take her away instantly.

How could she have been so foolish? Dimeria covered her face in frustration. It was the stress...the stress of having to lie and trick all of these people for reasons she didn't want any part in! The muscles in her neck felt like knotted ropes and dark bags had begun forming under Dimeria's eyes, looking like someone had punched her in the face. A tangled line of lies she'd been having to keep up with ever since she had gotten to King's Landing was causing a pounding headache in her temples; a heavy blanket of deceit that weighed her down to the point where she could barely think.

A deep urge from her gut began welling up within Dimeria, though she had no clue what the urge truly was. A deep abyss of emotion she could not decipher or maybe just a tight ball of strained anxiety that needed to be relieved; she did not know, but she did know how awful it felt...how truly miserable her life was beginning to feel.

"Gods, now I'm depressed…" She growled lowly.

With more effort than was usually necessary, Dimeria pushed herself from the wall and began heading towards her next destination. She hadn't planned on going there, but the prickling sensation to head down to the dungeons had been with her all day; Dimeria just didn't know why. Well, technically that was a lie. She wanted to see her dragons, but the longer she thought about it, the more it freaked her out. It was still an unbelievable thought that she was now a dragon mother; she didn't particularly like normal human children, why would she like dragon infants? They were deadly and dangerous. Not to mention the fact that if anyone found out she had them, Dimeria would be killed on the spot.

As hard as she tried though, Dimeria couldn't fully squelch the fascination her heart felt that she now dragons. If she somehow managed to raise them to adulthood and train them correctly, Dimeria would be the most powerful woman in King's Landing, or maybe in the Seven Kingdoms...right?

_No…_ Dimeria's mind said. _Your half-sister supposedly has 3 dragons and she's still stuck across the Narrow Sea…_

_My half-sister. What was her name again?_

Daenarys. Daenarys Targaryen. Dimeria thought for a moment. A small desire to meet her sister arose in Dimeria. What was her sister like? Was she anything like her, or the exact opposite? Dimeria began wondering if Daenarys even knew she existed. Probably not...barely anyone knew who she was in the Seven Kingdoms, let alone in the Free Cities.

A deep sigh left her mouth, doing nothing to relieve the knot in her stomach, but doing a wonderful job of summing up her feelings: overwhelmed.

Closer and closer Dimeria came to the dungeons; her dragons being the only things that occupied her mind instead of all the taxing responsibilities that had been thrown upon her. She went down the spiraling steps, approaching darkness with confidence and curiosity. As she closed the distance between her and her dragons, Dimeria couldn't help but think:

_Perhaps you'll meet Daenarys one day…_ She thought to herself. _One day…_

…

There wasn't much for her to do around the castle these days. She usually just wandered about aimlessly, staying out of everyone's ways and trying to keep attention away from her.

She had heard about the Dimeria girl, the bastard that had arrived in King's Landing with Ser Jaime Lannister, but she didn't care much about it. There was only one person she ever really thought of…

No. The girl shook the thought of him away. He had made it very clear how he felt and what was more important to him, but that didn't stop the sting of rejection.

It was by pure coincidence that the girl happened to be in the same corridor that Dimeria was walking through. The girl watched the bastard who took no notice of her, for she seemed to be muttering to herself as she kept her head down. The girl watched Dimeria quietly, waiting for her to notice her, but she never did.

It was just pure coincidence that she saw Dimeria walk down the steps towards the dungeons...or was it? Had the Gods purposely planned it that way? The girl didn't think so, she had never really believed in the Gods, but she did find it interesting that Dimeria would go down there by herself.

With her almond eyes, she watched Dimeria's retreating back with curiosity. Why would she go down there? Hadn't she heard about the dragon skulls down there? Did that not frighten her? The girl shook her head. There had to be **something** down there that caused Dimeria to venture into the dungeons, the girl just didn't know what.

Perhaps she would follow her...find out what was really down there. One day. One day she would go down there, but not by herself, only an idiot would do that.

The girl shook her head and turned away, walking the opposite direction as Dimeria. Yes, only fools would go to the dungeons with no concern for who saw them. The girl wouldn't make that mistake; she was no fool.

No, Shae "the whore" as Tyrion had deemed her, was definitely **not** a fool.

* * *

_**So yes, we now have the introduction of Shae...not really sure how you guys feel about her, but it'd be interesting to hear your thoughts! Let me know how I did in this chapter; I miss hearing from you lovely reviewers!**_

_**Until next time...**_


	38. Chapter 39

_**A/N: Agh! So sorry for the delay between chapters; I got distracted with another FanFic I was reading. "Wanted Dead or Alive" by Greenspace is AMAZING. If I have any Hobbit fans reading this that haven't checked that story out, you definitely should!**_

_**Thank you to all of my reviewers; ladyres (Your review cracked me up), Bella-swan11, ZabuzasGirl, KlaraChlo, and Misskymm!**_

_**KlaraChlo: Thank you so much for your sweet review! I'm actually currently taking French III so feel free to leave some reviews in French because it would definitely help me!**_

_**Misskymm: Thanks so much for complimenting my depiction of Cersei! I feel like I've got some inner Cersei in me, so she's super fun to write. And Shae being a spy for Cersei or Tyrion...hmmm...we'll just say I've definitely got some plans for Shae :)**_

* * *

A single rose rested upon her pillow. Jaime set it down gently, feeling as if it would shatter if he were too careless. He stared at the flower as if it were his only chance of fixing things with Dimeria, then shook his head at how ridiculous the thought seemed. He remembered asking Tyrion why he should give Dimeria a rose and was answered with: "It's symbolic."

"How the hell is it symbolic?" Jaime had asked Tyrion.

"It represents her personality. Upon first looking at it, you see how beautiful it is, but as you try to get closer, the thorns prick your finger and drive your hand away...much like Lady Dimeria does. And yet, if you're willing to get past the defenses, you can smell the true loveliness that is a rose." Tyrion explained like true romantic.

"Trust me, if it were that easy to get to Dimeria's 'loveliness' I wouldn't be in this mess." Jaime said as he rolled his eyes at his brother, but still, he went ahead with his brother's suggestion. The poetic meaning Tyrion gave him was lost on Jaime, for he never cared much for books or any of the stories Septas told children and he knew Dimeria didn't like it much either.

Jaime was desperate, though. He needed a way to gain Dimeria's trust back and he didn't see the harm in a single rose. Without leaving a trace, Jaime snuck into Dimeria's room, left the rose with a note, and left just as quickly. He went down to the training yard in an effort get his mind off of Dimeria, and also to avoid organizing the defenses for the upcoming wedding. Jaime couldn't give two shits about his bastard son's marriage if he had to be honest, but it was required of him to do his best to make sure he was safe; Jaime was the head of the Kingsguard after all.

Waiting the remainder of the day out as patiently as possible, Jaime pondered Dimeria's reaction to what he left in her room. He could only hope it was the beginning of mending their relationship.

…

The dungeons were as dark and ominous as Dimeria had heard, but the determination of finding her dragons was too strong for her to turn back now. There were no sconces holding lit torches, nor were there sounds of any signs of life; Dimeria began wondering if Varys had truly hid her dragons down there or if he simply put them to their deaths.

Darkness encompassed all the spaces around Dimeria, but she for some reason found it comforting. It reminded her that no one was around and the best part about that was that nobody was there to expect anything from her; it was the first time Dimeria had felt any sort of peace, almost like her troubles were not allowed to accompany her down the winding steps to the dungeons.

When Dimeria finally reached the bottom of the stairs, she saw a flickering glow ahead of her. Seeing no other option, she cautiously ventured closer and was nearly startled out of her wits when she saw the skull of a dragon just in front of her. The massive bulk of just the head was bigger than her and she slowly approached it with the irrational fear of the beast suddenly coming back to life and melting off her skin. Of course, nothing happened when she reached it, so she stuck a shaking hand out and ran her pale fingers across the ivory skull. The surface was surprisingly smooth, feeling more like pearls instead of sandpaper like Dimeria had expected.

A mesmerizing sense of calm came over Dimeria then; her heart had a steady beat and her breathing was more peaceful than a cool breeze on a summer day. The yearning to stay down there and forget all of her worries pulled at her heart, until Dimeria suddenly realized that she had her own dragons that would one day grow to the very size of the skull she was touching, and maybe even bigger.

_Where are they…?_ She began to wonder as she removed her hand from the dragon skull. Surely they couldn't be that difficult to find…

Scratches just at her feet forced an embarrassing squeak from Dimeria's mouth as she jumped backwards a step.

Dragons.

One was a deep metallic blue, while the other one was dark silver with black and blue highlights shimmering throughout its scales. They awkwardly crawled closer to Dimeria, ironically coming out from under the dragon skull's mouth. They almost seemed to know exactly who Dimeria was. The common sense part of her mind wanted to run away like a scared little mouse, but the curious part of her mind was incredibly intrigued and before Dimeria knew it, she was crouching down before the small creatures and holding her palm out.

It was hard for Dimeria to believe that such small, lizard-like beings could grow into the fierce, man-eating beasts whose skulls were being kept in the dungeons. Her 2 dragons nuzzled her palm gently, their slick scales running smoothly against her skin. An awe-filled grin stretched across her face the longer Dimeria stared at them.

These were her dragons. These were her children.

She wasn't sure how long she stayed down there just kneeling and watching the 2 baby dragons, but it nearly broke her heart when Dimeria left and she could hear the strange cries coming from them. She continued going though, feeling a strange sense of elation as she climbed up the spiraling steps; Dimeria never thought in her wildest dreams that her dragons could make her feel that happy.

But almost as if she was crossing an invisible threshold to an entirely different land, Dimeria felt the impossibly crushing weight of the lies and schemes she had gotten herself involved in. Within 10 seconds of being back in the main area of the Red Keep, she felt as if she had aged dramatically. Once again her lungs were not capable of expanding to their full capacity and her muscles felt limp with exhaustion, though she had hardly been doing anything worthy of fatigue.

Keeping her head down in an attempt to block out her problems, Dimeria began briskly walking down the hallways and back to her own quarters. More and more people appeared in her path as she went along, all of them busy with the preparations of the King's wedding. As a result of keeping her eyes down, Dimeria ran head on into someone, nearly falling straight back from the force.

"Mi'lady! I'm so sorry, please excuse me."

With an irritated sigh, Dimeria looked into the startled face of Podrick Payne. As much as she wanted to yell at him as she did her handmaidens, the sincere kindness that Podrick possessed stopped her; another factor that came along with her newly found conscience.

"Podrick..where are you off to in such a hurry?" She asked as she straightened her irritating dress out.

"Back to Lord Tyrion, mi'lady. I was fetching some books for him so he could better manage the spending that the crown is doing." Podrick explained.

"I see…" Dimeria said with pursed lips. She hadn't spoken with the dwarf ever since he had broken the news that she was a Targaryen; most of her anger was saved for Jaime at the time, but she still held some form of resentment for Tyrion.

"Well, I'll be off...unless there's something you need, mi'lady." Podrick suggested dutifully.

"No, no...go serve Tyrion like you always do." Dimeria said with slight exasperation. She made to walk away from him, but stopped saying, "You're a very loyal squire, Podrick. The world would be lucky to have more people like you."

She didn't wait for a reply, just simply turned and made her way back to her chambers. With eyes drooping like heavy curtains, Dimeria plopped down on her bed without worrying about changing out of her dress. Her mind swirled with all the different falsehoods that Varys and Cersei had thrown upon her. Each lie led to some possible consequence she would receive if she got caught, each one ending in unnerving deaths that made her muscles tense up when all she wanted was to relax and sleep.

Dimeria opened her eyes to rid herself of her hauntings, when a bit of red on the other pillow caught her attention. She propped herself up on her elbows and reached across to grab the mysterious rose to inspect it carefully. It was a ridiculous notion, but her first fear was that the rose was somehow poisoned and meant to kill her, but the thought was quickly dispelled when she saw some parchment with writing on it.

_**We need to talk, little warrior. Meet me at the training area at midnight.**_

_** -Jaime**_

Was it butterflies or nausea Dimeria felt at the thought of meeting Jaime? Reading over the note several more times for no reason, Dimeria found herself mindlessly smelling the rose he had left for her; she suddenly decided that roses were now her favorite flower. She rolled over onto her back as she held the rose to her chest, musing over what she should say to Jaime that night.

It was still only afternoon, so Dimeria decided to go ahead and take her nap; perhaps she would actually be able to get rid of the constant headache and forget about every ailing problem she had in her life, even if it was only for a few hours.

…

With the waves rhythmically crashing against the stones, Jaime began realizing how good of a thinking spot his training area was. He sat with one leg bent so he could rest his elbow on his knee and his back against the wall, listening for Dimeria's coming footsteps. While he thought his hearing was excellent, it took the clearing of Dimeria's throat to capture his attention. He stood up quickly to greet her, but remained standing in one place when he saw her take a slight step backwards.

"I, uh..I got your rose." Dimeria said awkwardly. "Thanks…"

The corners of Jaime's lips quirked upwards as he watched Dimeria nervously bite her lip. "No problem." He said quietly.

A thick cloud of silence formed in between them, seeming impenetrable at the moment since neither of them knew what to actually say.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" Dimeria said trying to sound normal, though being in Jaime's presence had sped up her heartbeat rapidly.

A heavy sigh was released by Jaime's lungs. He stepped closer to her and ran his hand through his hair. "There's no excuse for me lying to you, Dimeria. I...I did what I thought was right and I'll always stand by that decision, but…" He inhaled as he chose over his words carefully. "I can't stand this anymore!"

Jaime threw his hands up exasperatedly. "I hate not being able to talk to you like we used to, I hate that you avoid me every time you see me, I hate…" He stopped after realizing that he was rambling. "Is this as horrible for you as it is for me?" Jaime asked quietly as he looked down at his feet.

It took Dimeria a moment to even register what Jaime had said to her, for he had shocked her greatly. It wasn't often that Jaime confessed his emotions and it always pained Dimeria to see the expressions on his face when he did. The great Kingsguard warrior always held a mask of indifference and even arrogance, but when he let the mask drop, he showed the face of a man that suffered every day for his actions and the actions of other people. Dimeria always ended up being caught off guard when she saw Jaime in this other light.

Sitting down against the wall just as Jaime had moments before, Dimeria dropped her face into her hands. "I hate it too…" She muttered. "I don't even know what to do with myself anymore. I feel so…"

"Lost." Jaime finished for her as he took a seat next to her. Dimeria nodded and began twisting her hair around one of her fingers.

A painful buildup of pressure strangled Dimeria's chest and ribs as she felt hot tears forming in her eyes. "I hate it here." She said quietly. Jaime turned to regard her inquisitively. "I hate the lies, all the schemes and plots, I hate everything about this place." Dimeria clenched her teeth as she felt her mounting frustration coming to the surface.

"I know you do." Jaime said. "That's why you wanted to leave...but you didn't…"

Dimeria tilted her head back and wiped her tears away. "I can't." She admitted. "I can't leave."

"Why?" Hesitation was more than obvious on Dimeria's face as she considered Jaime's question. He looked away from her then. "You still don't trust me…"

"I want to, Jaime…" Dimeria squeezed her eyes shut.

"Then just do it." Jaime almost snapped at her. "You can tell me anything, Dimeria."

Dimeria's resolve began slipping away. Just as Jaime admitted that he needed her, she was finally beginning to realize that she also needed him. With one deep breath, Dimeria opened her blue eyes and felt her walls crumble away to nothingness.

She told him everything. She told him what had happened after he kissed her; the fire, her eggs falling into the flames, and one of Varys' little spies coming to find her. She told Jaime about Varys' plan to get rid of the King Joffrey and almost stopped at seeing Jaime's face tense when she mentioned his family.

"That's why I can't leave, Lannister. I have to help Varys do this." Dimeria said with a heaving sigh.

Jaime's brows furrowed at her explanation. "Who says you have to be involved in that; in any of that? This is dangerous, Dimeria…" He said, shaking his head.

"I know, it's just...part of me feels like Varys is right. Do you honestly believe Joffrey is good for this kingdom?" Dimeria asked Jaime.

"Of course not!" Jaime scoffed. "But...if anyone finds about this…"

"You're not going to tell anyone, are you?!" Dimeria panicked.

Irritation began coursing through Jaime's body. "Of course not!" He said as he sprang up from the ground to pace nervously. Dimeria followed suit, but did not approach him fully. She heard another sigh come from Jaime's lips. "I would've rather you left King's Landing than risk your life like this." He told her.

Dimeria felt as if his words pushed her back a step. "That would've meant leaving you, though." She said barely above a whisper.

Jaime turned to face her with an incredulous look on his face. "You didn't want to leave me?" He asked her. The sentiment meant the world to Jaime; he never would've expected Dimeria to feel that way.

A nervous warmth began spreading in Dimeria's stomach as she stood in Jaime's gaze. She smirked a little when she answered in order to hide her discomfort, though she doubted it worked at all. "I probably wouldn't have had any second thoughts about leaving if you hadn't...kissed me."

Jaime began walking closer towards her as she spoke, finding the spreading blush on her cheeks very amusing. He finally reached her and grabbed for her hands. "It was an impulse."

Dimeria rolled her eyes, but allowed Jaime to keep hold of her hands. "You should probably try to control your impulses." She said.

He leaned down closer to her face. "And if I don't?" Jaime asked with a slight rasp to his voice.

Trying desperately to think of some witty comeback, Dimeria could feel her breathing coming much quicker now as Jaime moved his hands up her arms and shoulders to caress her cheeks. She never got to respond to his question as he suddenly closed the small amount of space in between them and kissed her passionately.

…

He had won her back. Jaime didn't know how he did, but he didn't even care. All he cared about was that Dimeria was back in his life. Even Dimeria couldn't fully explain why she had chosen to forgive him. Perhaps it was when she finally realized that losing Jaime would've left a black abysmal hole in her life just like losing everybody else in her life seemed to do; Dimeria just couldn't afford to feel that pain again. How many scars did she have on her heart? Every day Dimeria felt the horrible ache of the loss of Aemon, Jeor, Jon, and of course Robb; and with everything she had been through with Jaime, Dimeria couldn't even begin to imagine how empty she would've felt at losing him. Both of them wondered how they had managed to overcome such a huge bout of betrayal, but neither of them chose to dwell on it for too long. They were both just happy that it was over.

"What are you going to name them?"

Dimeria looked into Jaime's green eyes. After the kiss Jaime had planted on her lips that left her knees weak, she realized that she had completely forgotten mention her dragons. What better way to break the news than to just show him? So Dimeria brought him down to the dungeons and there they were, watching the 2 dragons scratch and crawl their way along the stone floor.

"How should I know?" Dimeria said indignantly.

"It can't be that hard." Jaime said with a disdainful tilt of his head.

"They're dragons, Lannister. I can't just go and name them, 'Fluffy' or something."

"Well of course not…they don't even have fur." Jaime's sarcasm practically dripped from his mouth and Dimeria couldn't decide whether she had missed that aspect of his personality or not.

Despite her irritation, Dimeria found an amused smirk finding it's way onto her lips. She shook her head and sighed. "I don't exactly know any good dragon names."

Jaime chuckled beside her. "I'm sure Tyrion has some unnecessarily thick book with a multitude of dragon names you could use." He continued watching the dragons in front of him, not frightened since they were of no size to harm him, but still rather perplexed that they existed in the first place. He didn't go as far as to touch them like Dimeria seemed fond of doing rather, he simply settled for watching her interact with them. Her face lit up the extremely dark dungeons with the pure happiness that burned in her eyes. Jaime didn't think he had ever seen anything like it.

While being completely focused on the sight before him, neither Jaime nor Dimeria heard the footsteps of a new presence behind them.

"I see that you've let Ser Jaime in on our little secret."

Dimeria and Jaime spun around to see Varys watching them with a mysteriously bemused expression. Although Jaime tensed up at the sight of the eunuch, Dimeria didn't seem quite as unnerved.

"Trust me, he's known that secret way longer than I have." She said. Jaime would have reacted angrily, but he could practically hear the smile in Dimeria's voice, so he simply shook his head.

"I see." Varys said, though it was clear Varys had known this information from the very beginning. "I would inform you that it is imperative that this knowledge remains hidden from other ears, but I am sure you are more than aware of that." Varys said as he turned to regard Jaime.

"Yes, I am aware." Jaime said with a small sigh.

With a curt nod and a simple word of farewell, Varys turned to leave, but Jaime stopped him. "Lord Varys!" Jaime said taking a step forward. "I forgot to thank you."

"For what?" Varys asked curiously.

"For sending me out to find Lady Dimeria. You were the one to inform me of the danger she was in though, funny enough, she was in no harm when I got to her." Jaime said, suddenly realizing that Varys had some other reason for sending Jaime to Dimeria that night.

"Hm, funny how things work out." Varys said not revealing anything. "Good night, Ser Jaime." He said. "My lady." Varys said with a nod towards Dimeria who returned it.

With a slight smirk, Jaime turned back to Dimeria who was watching him with a cocked brow.

"What?" He asked.

"You should know better than to try to guess that man's motives." Dimeria said.

"He's hardly a man…" Jaime scoffed and earned a glare from Dimeria.

"Why, because he doesn't have a cock?" She asked crassly.

Jaime laughed at her. "You said it, not me." He said raising his hands defensively.

Dimeria rolled her eyes at him. "You're a cruel man, Jaime Lannister." She began to make her way past him then, but Jaime quickly snatched her wrist and pulled her back flush against him.

As much as she wanted to pull away from him, the beat of Dimeria's heart was too quick and loud for her to think clearly. His emerald gaze search her sapphire eyes to the very depths of her being for what seemed like an eternity. With her breath coming in short rasps, Dimeria bit her lip ever so slightly.

"What, are you going to kiss me again?" She asked teasingly.

"Are you saying you don't want me to?" Jaime asked with a cruel smirk. "Because I doubt you would be able to live without one."

Playfully narrowing her eyes, Dimeria pressed her lips into a tight smile that revealed dimples Jaime had never noticed before. "Oh, I would be perfectly fine without one. I believe **you're** the one that would suffer without the kiss."

A dangerous sparkled glinted in Jaime's eyes. "You think so?"

Dimeria put her hands on Jaime's muscular chest then and pushed him away to arm's length. "I know so, and I would be happy to prove it."

"And how is that?" Jaime said as he dropped his hands to his hips.

"Let's see how long we can go without a kiss. And when **you** come to **me** because you just can't stand it any longer, the game will be over." She said with a smug grin.

Jaime rolled his eyes. "We may as well kiss now and just get it over with." He said as he took a step forward, though Dimeria just as quickly took a step back from him.

"Are you already breaking under the pressure, Ser Jaime?" She said with mock politeness. "I must say: pleading does not become you." She turned away from him and began walking up the steps.

Jaime shook his head and laughed. "How long are you going to make this last?" He called after her.

"Oh, I don't know. I'm a very competitive woman...and I hate to lose."

* * *

_**Woohoo! Jaime and Dimeria are finally as 'together' as they can be in King's Landing ;) I've recently tried mushing their names into one couple name, but can't think of anything...what do you think?**_

_**Remember to leave reviews!**_

_**Until next time...**_


	39. Chapter 40

_**A/N: So here's a new update! Probably the quickest one I've had in quite a while, and it's also a longer chapter. We'll call it a little Christmas gift from me to all of you lovely readers :)**_

_**Thank you so much to all who reviewed, especially some of the new ones; anchorsaway11, Madmaddi19, fairydaisy777, InsanityatBest, ZabuzasGirl, and ladyres!**_

_**I especially loved all the ideas for a couple name for Jaime and Dimeria. I think Jaimeria is my favorite :)**_

* * *

One week. In one week, everything seemed to have returned back to normal; well, as normal as anything could have been in King's Landing. The Queen was no longer requiring Dimeria to extract information from anyone, in fact, Cersei seemed to be keeping her distance from her, but Dimeria didn't think anything of it. Everything and everyone seemed to revolve around the upcoming royal wedding, which was to be in a fortnight. Security was tight; Dimeria was required to be with Prince Tommen for most of her time.

Things seemed to have settled down into a rhythm for her, which she was extremely grateful for. Dimeria never thought she would've felt so comfortable in the Red Keep, but she did; she was doing something she was good at, her dragons were so far still a secret, and she was even back into her customary clothes of trousers and a tunic. And to put a nice little bow on Dimeria's pretty life at the moment, she still hadn't succumbed to the temptation of Jaime's kissing.

With the events of the wedding coming up, Jaime and Dimeria never got a moment alone together; Jaime was normally with the other members of the Kingsguard to plan the security for the wedding and Dimeria was always running random errands for the Queen or protecting Prince Tommen. They simply had to settle for quick glances and teasing looks whenever they did see each other. If she had to be honest, Dimeria was rather thankful for the separation between her and Jaime. As much as she boasted about being able to refrain from kissing Jaime, she knew that if she were thrown into the situation, she would easily fall prey to his green gaze and charming ways. Jaime was much more experienced than she was in that area, making her far more vulnerable to losing their little game.

Dimeria found herself thinking of Jaime's lips as she sat in Prince Tommen's chambers while he got fitted for new clothing to wear at the royal wedding.

"What do you think, Lady Dimeria?" The Prince drew her attention back to the present.

Observing the new fabric that the couturier had provided, Dimeria placed an interested look upon her features. A gold and crimson fabric laden with streams of intricate swirls of more shimmering gold rested across Tommen's shoulders. It looked no different from any of the other garbs that the Lannister family members wore, but Dimeria knew better than to voice any of that.

"I like it." Dimeria said with a flashing smile. "Very suitable for a prince, Your Grace."

Tommen grinned at her approval. "Thank you." He turned to look at her fully then. "Lady Dimeria, I would prefer it if you just called me by my name."

With another gleam of her teeth, Dimeria said: "And I would prefer it if you didn't call me 'Lady' Dimeria."

A blush settled across Tommen's boyish cheeks. "I guess we have an agreement then, don't we Dimeria?"

"It appears we do, Tommen." Dimeria said with a laugh. It was still quite perplexing to her that such a sweet boy could be related to a prick like Joffrey, or even an egocentric man like Jaime. Dimeria had obviously seen the softer side of Jaime, but it wasn't as if Tommen had ever been exposed to any of that; he had Cersei for a mother after all.

"Yes, this will do." Tommen said looking at the material one last time.

"If that will be all, I must attend to King Joffrey now." The tailor said as he began gathering up his things.

"Of course." Tommen nodded. "Lady-I mean, Dimeria, would you mind showing him to my brother's chambers?"

"Of course not." Dimeria said as she stood up. "Shall we?" The man nodded in confirmation and began shuffling out of the room with Dimeria in tow.

Tommen's voice then called her back. "Dimeria! My mother and grandfather have, uh, planned a family dinner tonight; one last gathering as a family before my brother weds Lady Margaery. I, um...I would enjoy it if you were in attendance."

Dinner with the Lannisters? Dimeria's first instinct was to scoff in reply to the invitation, but she bit her lip to hold back the urge. She considered it for a moment. "Of course, it would be my pleasure." She said with a small smile; she could hardly refuse.

With one last cheeky grin, Tommen turned away and allowed Dimeria to leave the room and escort the tailor to Joffrey's chambers. An uneasy churning in Dimeria's stomach plagued her as she walked. What sane person would want to dine with the entire Lannister family? Then again, Dimeria was a Targaryen; there was reason to believe she wasn't exactly sane in the first place. Shaking her head, Dimeria tried to be optimistic. Tyrion would be there, and Jaime of course, but that was hardly any comfort.

Dimeria decided not to think of it any longer. Holding her chin up, she continued her trek to the King's quarters and felt an amused smirk when she saw Jaime speaking with another Kingsguard member just outside Joffrey's room. It looked as if Jaime was relieving the other man of his duty of guarding the King's door. As soon as her blue eyes met with his, Jaime ended his current conversation to regard Dimeria fully.

"Lady Dimeria," He greeted, remembering to use proper titles in the presence of other people. "What can I help you with?" He asked with a mischievous glint in his eyes that he knew only Dimeria would be able to detect.

Remaining impassive, Dimeria approached him with the tailor at her side. "It's not your help I'm seeking, unfortunately. I'm simply bringing King's Joffrey's new fabrics to him." She said gesturing to the man next to her.

"I see." Jaime said with one of his customary smirks. "By all means then, enter." He opened up the grand doors and allowed passage to them, but caught Dimeria's eyes causing her to pause while the couturier continued walking. "One week...I'm impressed, little warrior." Jaime chuckled. "I figured you would've come crawling back to me for another kiss by now."

Dimeria rolled her eyes. "In your dreams, Lannister."

"How did you know?" Jaime teased as she walked away from him.

Forcing the smile away from her face, Dimeria entered the King's room and took a deep breath as she heard the door click shut behind her. Joffrey lazily turned his head towards her entrance, cocking a blonde brow as he suddenly realized whom it was that entered. The king was still fascinated with the new warrior woman, but hadn't found any way or any time to "play" with her yet.

"Your Grace." Dimeria said with a small bow.

The King's eyes narrowed curiously. "Do you always bow? You may have been raised without common knowledge, but surely you know how to curtsy." Joffrey said without trying to hide his disgust.

Dimeria bit her lip in irritation. Just hearing the wretched boy speak annoyed Dimeria on any occasion, but the impudent tone of voice and the sneer on his face made her want to drive the pommel of her sword straight into his nose. Swallowing what would probably be a pleasing urge down, Dimeria took a deep breath. "Well Your Grace, curtsies are meant for noble ladies whose sole concern is pleasing others. Being raised at Castle Black, my main concern was fighting, not looking pretty." Her words came out coated in sweetness, yet Dimeria somehow managed to mix them with a slight hint of malice that went perfectly with the overly charming smile on her face.

Joffrey's sneer quickly changed into a hateful glare. "Hm, I suppose curtsies didn't matter at The Wall. After all, the brutes at Castle Black probably didn't want to waste anytime getting in between your legs."

Surprise smacked Dimeria in the face at Joffrey's absurd accusation. What right did he have to judge her like that? Dimeria ground her teeth in anger as she glared right back at Joffrey. "I assure you, Your Grace, that's not what I spent my time doing at Castle Black."

"Whatever you say…" Joffrey snorted.

"Well, if that's all, Your Grace; I'll just be leaving." Dimeria said as she clenched her hands.

Joffrey's smug voice entered her ears once more though, interrupting her leave. "There's a dinner tonight...my whole family will be in attendance."

Dimeria resisted the urge to groan. "Yes, your brother invited me to be present." She said trying not to let her annoyance show too much, but she doubted it worked.

"Oh, did he?" Joffrey asked interestedly. "And...what did you say?"

"I said yes, Your Grace. I felt it was hardly acceptable to decline the invitation." Dimeria forced herself to use proper language as she spoke; it helped her ensure that she didn't just scream in rage at the King.

"You're right; it isn't acceptable." Joffrey said with a condescending glance her way as he began to allow the tailor start taking his measurements. He turned his back on her, but still continued their conversation. "And I'm afraid your disgusting clothing is not acceptable, either."

"Well, I didn't plan on wearing this to dinner, Your Grace." Dimeria said through gritted teeth.

"And what are you planning to wear?" Joffrey asked bitterly.

"I'm sure I can have my handmaidens find me a dress to wear." She said with a sigh and a roll of her eyes.

Joffrey scoffed loudly and turned his head back to her for a moment. "What dresses do **you** have that could possibly be worthy of being in my family's presence?"

An angry heat began flushing Dimeria's cheeks the longer she spoke with Joffrey. Her chest tightened along with her throat as she forced the nasty words she wanted to say away from her mind. "I'll do the best I can, Your Grace." She nearly spat the words out at him, which did not go unnoticed by Joffrey.

After her words, Joffrey slowly spun to face her with an irritated look on his features and a hand on his hip. "Yes, I'm sure you will try your best, but I have a feeling your best will still not be good enough." He said maliciously.

The raging heat increased with Joffrey's next statement, and Dimeria began feeling her nostrils flaring in hatred for the King. It took everything in Dimeria to not throttle him; she knew better than to threaten Joffrey's life, yet she was still too prideful to back away from him and let him get his way. Dimeria stood her ground and tensed her muscles to keep herself from moving.

"Then what would you suggest I do?" Dimeria forced out while also forgetting to use his proper title, though Joffrey made no mention of it.

A sadistic grin formed on his face, making him look even more reptilian than he usually did to Dimeria. "You should get a new dress, of course! I'm sure the tailor here wouldn't mind."

"Your Grace, I don't have enough fabric for the lady…" The tailor tried to put in, but he was cut off.

"I said...I want Lady Dimeria to have a new dress!" Joffrey shouted. The man nodded his head graciously in response, though Dimeria suddenly felt the desire to release a feral growl and attack the boy. Joffrey turned back to face Dimeria with a complacent smirk on his face as he observed her anger. "Well, go on then." He said to her. "Strip."

Dimeria's anger was momentarily replaced with surprise again. "Excuse me?"

"How else is he supposed to measure you? Take off your clothes." He ordered with a cruel laugh.

Dimeria stood there in defiance, but also with a little bit of embarrassment. She had never been nude in front of a man before (except Jaime) and she had no desire to be, especially in front of Joffrey. With a determined look on her face, Dimeria held her ground and did not answer the King.

Joffrey's complacency soon morphed into vexation. "Did you not hear me?" He asked dangerously. The tailor looked up with caution, but with no motivation to interrupt the growing scene. "I said: Take. Off. Your. Clothes." Joffrey enunciated each word.

Still, Dimeria did not answer, but only narrowed her eyes even further than they already were. Angry fire began glimmering in Joffrey's hideous eyes. With an arrogant step forward, he drew his sword and pointed it at Dimeria's throat. She nearly laughed out loud at how he gripped the weapon; it was clear he had very little experience with a sword. Still, she could not resist the temptation to tease Joffrey at his amateur sword handling.

"I would be careful with that if I were you, Your Grace. It's dangerous to handle something you don't know how to use." She said while never breaking eye contact.

"Why you little bitch!" Joffrey roared as he charged at her.

Suddenly, he stopped. Joffrey stopped dead in his tracks; one second he was ready to cleave her head off, and the next he seemed to be frozen in place. Not only did he stop because someone had entered the room, but because of the look in Dimeria's cold, blue eyes.

There was no fear nor any panic, but rather a deathly look of valiancy that seemed to be daring Joffrey to drive the sword through her; almost as if she knew he wouldn't be able to do it. And he didn't. Joffrey couldn't kill Dimeria.

"Your Grace…" A voice entered the room. "If I may steal Lady Dimeria's presence from you...I would like to go over some security plans with her."

For a second longer Joffrey and Dimeria stared each other down, until Joffrey turned his gaze towards Jaime. Even after Joffrey had looked away, Dimeria's gaze did not falter.

"Of course you may consult with her, Uncle." Joffrey said trying to regain his arrogant attitude. "It's not as if I was actually enjoying her presence." He spat out.

Joffrey turned around, forcing a calm over himself as he took long strides over to the couturier who was desperate to be out of the tense situation he found himself in. Joffrey didn't spare a glance towards Dimeria, though he could feel her menacing gaze penetrating his back.

"Lady Dimeria." Jaime said, calling her attention to him.

With a begrudging look on her face, Dimeria quickly stormed out of the room with her nails digging into the palms of her hands. Her vision was blurred with anger as she turned down a random hallway; her chest felt like it would suddenly erupt with a stream of flames. Daydreams of Joffrey's head on a spike plagued her mind until she suddenly felt her arm get yanked backwards.

Jaime's palm was wrapped just above her elbow, pulling her back to him. He could practically see an inferno burning in her normally cool blue eyes, so he planted his hands on her shoulders to hold her in place, just in case she decided to lose her mind completely.

"Do you have a death wish, little warrior? Or are you just that ignorant?" Jaime asked her.

Daggers suddenly shot from Dimeria's eyes at Jaime's question. "Are you blaming me?" She asked incredulously. "How is any of this my fault?!"

"You cannot speak to the King like that. You should know better!" Jaime said, shaking her slightly.

"What? I'm supposed to just let him speak to me like that?!"

"If it keeps your head on your shoulders, yes!" Jaime shouted.

Dimeria quit arguing then, finally seeing sense in what Jaime was trying to say to her. Jaime could sense the shift in her mood and felt it was safe enough to tuck her white strand of hair behind her ear, caressing her cheek along the way.

"You're fire is what makes you special, little warrior, but I can't let you be your normal, stupid self if it puts you in danger." Jaime said softly.

"My normal, stupid self?" Dimeria quirked an eyebrow up at him.

Jaime smirked. "I'm just being honest."

A sigh escaped Dimeria's lungs, releasing the last burning embers of her anger. "I suppose I've put a strain on my relationship with the King then."

"You've definitely ensured a tense dinner tonight." Jaime laughed humorlessly.

Dimeria groaned at the reminder. "Can I just not go?" She asked almost pleadingly.

Jaime rolled his eyes at how much she looked like a spoiled child at the moment. "That would only enrage him even further." He told her. "You got yourself in this mess…"

"Technically I didn't." Dimeria interrupted, though she was countered with a stern glare from Jaime's green eyes.

"In any case...you'll have to deal with the consequences."

Another sigh was released from Dimeria. "I guess you're right."

"Of course I am. And you should reward me with a kiss." Jaime said quickly, suddenly changing the somber mood.

Dimeria scoffed and pushed against his chest. "I just got my life threatened by the King and you're trying to get me to kiss you?!"

"Um...yes." Jaime smirked.

"You're unbelievable, Lannister!" She said as she stomped away from him. Jaime wasn't particularly worried though. As much as Dimeria tried to hide it, he caught the grin she had on her face as she walked away.

…

Tense.

Her muscles were tense, her breathing was rigid, and her lip was turned nearly white from her biting it. Yes, Dimeria was definitely anxious about having dinner with the Lannisters. She had her handmaidens find the best dress they could on such short notice and to her, it was marvelous; though Dimeria assumed King Joffrey would be displeased no matter what she wore. The gown was a deep maroon with silver streams winding around her chest and torso. The skirt flowed down with lovely waves all the way down to her feet. Dimeria had never worn anything so lovely before, but she had a feeling that this was the type of dress that the ladies of the court wore every day.

With a sigh, Dimeria began releasing her hair from the braid to let it fall all the way down to her waist. Her white strand of hair framed her cheek like a rooftop covered in snow and she tucked it behind her ear to keep it out of her face.

"Would you like me to tie your hair back, m'lady?" Dimeria's handmaiden asked timidly. It was clear that she was wary of Dimeria and her temper, which Dimeria found rather amusing.

"That would be nice, yes." Dimera said.

Her handmaiden walked over to her and grabbed a brush, running it along her dark locks and sending tingles through Dimeria's spine. Working quickly, the young girl tied one layer of Dimeria's hair back with a ribbon, letting the rest of it fall down her back like a waterfall dyed with black ink.

"Thank you." Dimeria said with a small smile just as a knock sounded at her door.

The handmaiden rushed over to answer it and revealed the handsome Jaime Lannister leaning against the doorframe.

"It's Ser Jaime, m'lady." The girl said stupidly as if Dimeria couldn't see him.

Rolling her eyes along the way, Dimeria walked to the door to greet him. "You can leave now." She told her handmaiden who scurried out of the room without even grazing Jaime's side.

Jaime's raised his brows in amusement as he watched the small girl's retreating form. "You've got her trained like a rat." He smirked.

"They're annoying any other way." Dimeria said with a sigh.

Jaime looked back over to Dimeria, all amusement slipping from his face to be replaced by wonderment and awe. "You look lovely, little warrior." He said seriously.

Offering a crooked smile that showed off one of her dimples, Dimeria shrugged almost helplessly. "Hopefully I look lovely enough for the King."

A slight groan sounded from Jaime as he ran a hand through his hair. "Might was well get it over with as quickly as possible. Shall we?" He said offering Dimeria his arm.

With Dimeria clinging to him for support, the 2 warriors strolled down the dining hall where the rest of the Lannisters would most likely already be seated. Jaime opened the large doors and let Dimeria enter before him. She held her head high like she always did, but was clenching her fists anxiously as she approached Cersei, Tywin, and Joffrey. Prince Tommen was the only one that smiled upon her entrance and Tyrion was nowhere to be found at the moment. Taking a seat next to Tommen, Dimeria bowed her head gracefully to everyone else present and forced herself to take a deep calming breath as Jaime took the other seat available at her side.

"You look stunning, Lady Dimeria. Your dress is beautiful." Prince Tommen complimented her.

"Thank you, my Prince, but did we not agree to drop each other's titles?" She asked with a smile.

"Of course, I forgot." Tommen chuckled with a blush.

Just as Dimeria let knotted tension in her stomach release at the thought that perhaps dinner wouldn't be so horrendous, Joffrey's repulsive voice assaulted her ears.

"It is a nice dress. I'm surprised you were able to find it; I was expecting a gown in tatters and with rats clinging to it." Joffrey said with a haughty smirk.

Dimeria dug her nails into the wooden armrests of her seat. "My handmaidens found it. You're right, it is pretty; I suppose I should give them more credit than I actually do." She said trying to turn the conversation in a different direction.

Joffrey opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by the sound of the doors opening once again. Tyrion sauntered in, his gaze flitting to and fro around the area.

"You're late." Tywin said as Tyrion took the last empty seat.

"My apologies, father. Lady Sansa was in a rather...indisposed state; I wanted to make sure she was well before I left her alone." Tyrion explained.

"Why didn't you just bring the little whore with you?" Joffrey questioned him, causing Dimeria to tense up even more in her chair. Jaime secretly placed a calming hand on her arm, but it did nothing to dispel Dimeria's vexation.

Gods, Dimeria hated the little brat! It was one thing that he was worse than spoiled rotten, but the fact that he was King. He thought he could get away with anything and he did; it was something that drove Dimeria insane with anger and she wasn't sure if she could contain it any longer.

"Lady Sansa was in no condition to leave our rooms. I will have a servant bring her some food later on." Tyrion said with pursed lips.

Joffrey grunted as he leaned back in his chair. "I wouldn't let her out of my sight, Uncle. The slut probably has her legs spread to another man already."

Dimeria began feeling her resolve breaking. "Your Grace, is everyone you dislike a whore or slut to you?" She asked before she could stop herself.

The Queen, who had up until then remained quiet, suddenly turned to glare viciously at Dimeria. "You dare speak to your King like that?"

"I am sorry, it was an innocent question, my Queen. It was only this morning that he called me the same thing." Dimeria said. Not even Jaime's stern glare could shut Dimeria up now and she continued blabbing to her heart's content. "Wait no, I'm mistaken. I believe he called me a bitch." Dimeria contemplated it quietly for dramatic effect. "Yes, that was it."

Prince Tommen shifted uncomfortably in his chair as Tyrion raised his eyebrows in surprise. Jaime only pursed his lips and flared in nostrils, while Cersei began fiddling with one of her utensils.

It was Tywin who broke the strained silence. "And what gave him reason to call you that, Lady Dimeria?"

Dimeria shrugged guiltlessly in an effort to enhance her innocence, which enraged Joffrey even more than he was that afternoon.

"You lying bitch!" Joffrey raged, causing both Cersei and Tommen to wince slightly. "You made me look like a fool and said that I didn't know how to use a sword!" As soon as he yelled the words, Joffrey realized how much of a child he must have sounded like, but his fury was pouring over like boiling water. He could feel his grandfather's piercing gaze of disapproval, but continued glaring at Dimeria who had her lips pursed in tightly.

"Your Grace, I was only warning you at the time. I didn't think you would take it so personally such as a child." Dimeria said, ignorantly pushing Joffrey even further.

Jaime could only sit in his chair with both anger and embarrassment at what was happening. He knew Dimeria was bold and hard to contain, but he thought she was smart enough to know better than to anger Joffrey like this. He thought wrong.

"I am not a child!" Joffrey roared at Dimeria from across the table. He had since then stood up from his seat, while Dimeria sat quietly with her brows furrowed angrily. Jaime covered his face with a sigh.

"ENOUGH." Tywin boomed. An echo reverberated around the room, though it hardly looked like Tywin had put any effort into the command. "I'll not have my grandson behaving so foolishly; you're the King, damn it; start acting like it." Joffrey peered at Tywin with fear tainting his normally arrogant eyes.

"You're not to speak to Lady Dimeria that way again, is that understood? She is a guard for this family and you will respect her, or else she may suddenly decide to stop protecting you." Tywin scolded.

Dimeria was caught off guard by the fact that Tywin had actually defended her. It still hadn't quite dawned on her mind how truly idiotic she had just acted.

Lord Tywin turned his cold gaze to rest on her then. "Lady Dimeria, this is your King and you would do well not to provoke him. You will not elicit any sort of heated exchange such as this one again, or else I will oversee your punishment." Tywin threatened sternly. Dimeria nodded her head almost undetectably at his command.

With a curt nod, Tywin turned to acknowledge his eldest son time for the first time that night. "Jaime, seeing as you're Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, I'll leave you to deal with her discipline this time."

"Of course, father." Jaime grumbled from Dimeria's side before he stood up and wrenched Dimeria from her seat, practically dragging her out of the dining hall.

He didn't bring Dimeria back to her room, or even to his chambers; he just continued walking until Dimeria finally asked him where it was he was leading her. Still, Jaime did not respond out of the sheer anger he was feeling. Seven hells, why did she have to be so stupid!?

It wasn't until they were outside that Dimeria realized where they were going. Their training area was unknown to almost everyone and out of range of anyone's ears; it was then that Dimeria realized she was probably about to receive an earful from Jaime for her unsophisticated behavior.

As soon as they reached the stone platform surrounded by the waves, Dimeria expected Jaime to begin reprimanding her, but he only stood in front of her with an unreadable expression on his face.

"Well? Are you going to yell at me, or what?" Dimeria snapped at him.

Anger flashed across his emerald gaze. "No." He said.

"Why? We both know you want to!"

"I am not your father, Dimeria and….I already told you how stupid you were for antagonizing Joffrey. I'm not sure what else there is to say!" Jaime said, releasing some of the irritability that had built up within him.

Dimeria didn't respond to him, only crossed her arms and looked out over the water. Jaime threw his hands up in frustration, finally giving into the urge to unleash his fury. "Gods, you're such an idiot! You can never keep your mouth shut; you **always** have to say something!"

A blue glare from Dimeria was targeted at Jaime, but he did not relent. "I don't understand why you felt the need to provoke him!"

"Oh, shut up, Lannister!" Dimeria screamed at him. "As if you've never been the one to instigate an argument!"

"Not with someone that could have my head chopped off!" Jaime retorted.

Dimeria snorted at the comment. "You're so full of shit. Why do you care so much anyway?"

Jaime shook his head at her. "I can't believe you would ask me that. Have I not made it clear?"

Of course he had made it clear; Jaime cared for Dimeria...more than he cared for himself sometimes, but Dimeria's anger had been blinding her from that fact. She wasn't used to having someone care for her as much as Jaime did and she wasn't sure she even liked it. It made her feel like she had to return the sentiment. Dimeria closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Why was she so upset with Jaime? It's not like she wouldn't have done the same thing if she had been in his place.

"Yes, you've made it clear. I know why you're angry with me." Dimeria conceded. Jaime's penetrating gaze softened as she spoke. "You're right...I need to learn how to shut up." Dimeria said, though she made it quite obvious that she hated admitting the fact.

"There...was that so hard?" Jaime teased her.

She shook her head with a smirk. "I suppose you want me to apologize?"

It was Jaime's turn to snort. "The day you apologize to me is when the Seven Hells freeze over." Dimeria glared at him. "But...I do have something in mind." He suggested with a devious grin.

Dimeria groaned, hoping that she wouldn't regret what Jaime was about to tell her to do.

"You could just give me that kiss I've been waiting for." Jaime said.

And even though it meant losing their little bet, Dimeria wrapped her arms around his neck and stood up on her toes to reach his lips. Just before their lips connected Jaime murmured against her mouth: "I win."

* * *

**_I hope you all enjoyed this chapter...it was a bit dramatic so hopefully that was entertaining :)_**

**_Remember to leave reviews and I hope all of you guys have a wonderful holiday season!_**


	40. Chapter 41

_**A/N: First off, apologies for the long wait...I apparently get distracted way too easily :) Second, YAY I HAVE OVER 200 FOLLOWERS. You all are awesome!**_

_**This is a shorter chapter but, we have a special appearance in this one that you all will hopefully enjoy.**_

_**Big thanks to all of my reviewers: Jussie87, Misskymm, ZabuzasGirl, Aranel Silvertongue (Thanks for the super sweet message), and ladyres (Your reviews crack me up every single time!)**_

* * *

Cersei was slowly losing it. Like a loose thread on an old dress, her mind was unraveling to the point of absolute disarray. After dinner that night, she went back to her room, nearly stomping the entire way and causing a slight echo to bounce off of the stone hallways. She slammed the door shut with all her might, which was actually a surprising amount considering her slender build. Forcing herself to breath through her nose to calm herself down, Cersei walked out to her balcony to overlook the city.

_That stupid bitch…_ Cersei thought. _I should've just killed her the moment I laid eyes on her._

The thought had flitted through her mind more than once. Cersei had first thought that she could use Dimeria as another little spy. Not that she didn't have enough in the form of handmaidens, but Dimeria was much more dangerous considering she could fight. But Cersei was starting to regret the decision; she could see now the closeness Dimeria had with Jaime and how Tommen just thought the world of her. It would be much harder for Cersei to murder Dimeria without any repercussions now.

Cersei replayed how Jaime had taken Dimeria from the dining hall that night. He was angry, that much was obvious, but he so furiously protective of her and that fact sparked a type of jealousy within her that she had never felt before. Cersei had officially been replaced in Jaime's heart. A small growl she hadn't even noticed she was producing escaped Cersei's lips the longer she thought about it. They were twins, bound by body and soul; how could he do that to her?

_No…. _Cersei's mind said._ It's not him. It's that stupid bitch; she's tricked him into falling for her…_

Yes, that was it. The only way to get Jaime back was to get rid of Dimeria. She would have to be subtle though. It would do her no good to have everyone find out she murdered Dimeria.

…

The night was dark, darker than it had been for many weeks. No candles were lit, no fires blazed outside; there was only the twinkle of stars and intermittent shadows being cast by the moon as clouds breezed by. Tulkas tiptoed quietly out into the empty courtyard of the Twins. Almost all of Bolton's men had moved out once he went back to the Dreadfort, leaving only about 50 men to occupy the castle and most of them just drunk and whored themselves around to whatever women were available. Tulkas had taken extra precautions to make sure Talisa was not one of those women and he was very thankful that it had worked.

It seemed to Tulkas that every step he took reverberated into the dark corners of the courtyard. Silence. Silence was key for what Tulkas was doing. Any sort of sound could possibly give him away. He made his way out of the courtyard and into the woods beyond, searching for signs of other people around him. Luckily he saw no one until he came upon Talisa who was hiding as best as she could under the dark shadow of a large tree.

"Talisa?" Tulkas whispered as he came up behind her. Startled, she spun around quickly and with wide eyes. "It's alright, it's just me." Tulkas explained.

She breathed an audible sigh of relief. "I could only find a couple blankets, I'm not sure if it's enough though." She said gesturing to the wagon she was leaning against.

"It's alright, I have a couple more." Tulkas handed them over to her. "Did anyone see you?" Tulkas asked her warily then.

"No. The guards were already mostly drunk by the time I got there." Talisa said, shaking her head.

"What did you tell them?"

"I said that I was disposing the dead bodies. It really wasn't that difficult, although I did need their help to get the wagon out of dungeons." She sighed as she glanced at the wagon once more. "Hopefully we don't run into anybody on the road."

"We'll be traveling at night to stay hidden." Tulkas said.

A flash of doubt swept across Talisa's features. "Do you really think this will work? What if someone catches us and finds out?"

Tulkas shrugged in resignation. "We'll most likely be killed."

…

Robb Stark had thought that his cell in dungeons was uncomfortable, but it was nothing compared to the cramped wagon Talisa had put him in.

"What are you doing?" He had asked her, but she shushed him, telling him that he needed to get in the wagon and that he wasn't to say a word until she told him to. Robb was then covered with blankets to hide him from the guards and she began wheeling him towards the entrance of the dungeons. He listened with apprehension as the guards helped Talisa get the wagon up the steps and had to bite his tongue at the pain he felt through his sore shoulder. It wasn't until they were out of the castle that she answered him:

"Tulkas and I are getting you out of here. There must always be a Stark in Winterfell."

Robb wasn't sure if he was excited about the plan or if he was scared witless. He decided not to dwell on that though, but rather think of the open sky that he had missed so much while being in the dungeons. Even under the blankets he could feel the crisp air against his face and the calm breeze stir the fabric ever so slightly.

Talisa took Robb into the woods and there they waited under the shadow of a tree until Tulkas came. While he had been allowed to reveal his face to the open air while they were waiting, Tulkas and Talisa insisted that they cover him back up completely now that they were about to set off. Robb hadn't felt his heart thump in fear since the last time he was in battle and even then, this was different; he had no control over what happened. All he could do was lie still and hope that Talisa and Tulkas could keep him hidden. Each bump in the road felt like an earthquake to Robb, and every rustle the leaves gave off made his hands tremble with the fear that someone was following them.

Just when he thought he would be safe for the night and that it was okay for him to drift off into sleep, voice called out to Tulkas and Talisa. Robb turned his body rigid and held his breath to eliminate any sort of movement.

"Who goes there?!" A voice said; a commoner by the sounds of his accent.

"My name is Ser Tulkas." Robb heard. "Who are you?"

Robb could not understand the name of the man who answered as Tulkas stopped the horses pulling the wagon and stepped out of the cart.

"You comin' from the Twins?" Another voice said.

_Wonderful...2 men…_ Robb thought to himself.

"Yes." Tulkas said curtly.

"Ah, one of Bolton's men, eh?" The first man asked. Robb could hear the hesitation as Tulkas said yes once more to the man's question. Robb hadn't heard Talisa say a word or even move for that matter since they had stopped. His shoulder throbbed along with the harsh beating of his heart as he prayed to the Old Gods that he wouldn't be discovered.

He heard the men go on to explain that they were also part of Bolton's army and were doing a patrol around the Twins. "We've never seen you before…" One of the men said to Tulkas.

Robb's heartbeat began beating even faster; he was surely about to get caught now. "Well, you wouldn't with how many men have been around the Twins lately. Everything has been pretty hectic since the wedding." Tulkas said trying to sate the suspicion brewing within the 2 other men.

A horrible pain in Robb's gut tore through his body at the mention of what had happened at the Twins. Everything had gone so terribly wrong. Robb knew he owed Tulkas his life, but after hearing what had happened to his mother and his entire army, a part of Robb wished Tulkas had just left him for dead; it would've been less painful than bearing the heartache of loss.

Cruel laughs erupted from the mouths of the 2 men. "Yeah, those northern bastards scrambled 'round like maggots!"

"They had no idea what was comin'!" The 2 men joked. Robb didn't know how he did it, but he managed to quell the raging anger he felt. All he could do was let the thick blankets covering his face soak up the hot tears that were streaming from his eyes.

After the laughter had subsided, the 2 men suddenly regarded Talisa for the first time. "What's a pretty thing like you doin' out this late?" Robb could practically hear the disgusting grin the man had on his face.

"Getting rid of dead bodies." Talisa answered curtly. Robb's anger subsided a bit as he felt slight amusement at how blunt she sounded.

"What 'bout you?" One of the men asked. Robb could only assume he was talking to Tulkas once more.

"Can't let a lady go out in the dark by herself." Tulkas explained. A deafening and suspenseful silence ensued after that, making Robb fear that the 2 men could hear his heart or his breaths. He lay completely still, not even daring to open his eyes now that he had squeezed them shut.

Miraculously, the 2 men offered Tulkas and Talisa passage. "Well, we just finished patrollin' this area, ya shouldn't find any trouble." One of them said.

Robb heard Tulkas climb back into the cart and once again stiffened his body as he heard the 2 men walk by the wagon. One of the men called back towards Talisa:

"Make sure you come find me when you come back, little lady. I can give ya a good time."

Robb could only imagine the scowl Talisa had on her face. Once he was certain he was out of hearing range, Robb let the breath he had been holding out of his lungs.

"You alright back there?" He heard Tulkas ask him.

"For now…" Robb muttered back.

They rode well into the night, though Robb had no real conception of time being covered by several thick blankets. He was in a strange sort of daze, not captured by the comfort of a deep sleep, but not fully aware to the real world around him. Everything seemed to be happening in a gray blur, none of his actions having any effect on what happened. His life was in the hands of the 2 people steering the wagon.

Robb suddenly felt the horse make the wagon come to a stop and he feared that some more scouts were encountering them again. He was comforted by Tulkas' voice though.

"We'll stop here for a while." Tulkas said. "But we can't rest for long, we need to put as much distance behind us as we can."

With a little more effort than was normally necessary, Robb sat himself up in the wagon and stretched his muscles. His limbs seemed to crackle and stretch with relief as he finally received proper blood flow. Look around at his surroundings, he saw that Tulkas and Talisa had steered the wagon off the road that they had been on and further into the woods under the concealment of thick trees. The 2 of them set about the area to arrange their things for a short rest. Robb watched them curiously.

Why were they doing this for him? Robb had been claimed as King in the North, but he had lost that title the night of the Red Wedding; Tulkas and Talisa had no reason so show such loyalty towards him.

"You should sleep in the wagon there. It'll be better for your wounds." Talisa told him.

Robb's curiosity got the better of him and he couldn't help but question their motives. "Why are you doing this? Why are you taking me back to Winterfell?"

Talisa gazed at Robb curiously, as did Tulkas. "I already told you, there should always be a Stark in Winterfell." Talisa said.

Robb shook his head. "This isn't yours to worry about. You have no reason to be doing this."

Tulkas stood and approached Robb with a serious demeanor. "Your sister Sansa is still held within the Capitol, Arya has been missing since the day your father died, and your brothers are dead. Winterfell is in ruins and there is no one else better than you to return it to its former glory." Tulkas said with barely a stutter. "Not only am I doing this because I have always been loyal to you and your family, but because it is simply the right thing to do."

His words drove Robb to the point of speechlessness. He held Tulkas' gaze for a few moments longer before dropping his eyes to the ground. As Tulkas and Talisa finished settling their things on the ground for sleep, Robb spoke a heartfelt thanks to them.

"Not only did you save my life, but you're taking me home. There are no words that can fully express how grateful I am to you, but nonetheless, I thank you both."

Nodding their heads in acknowledgment, Tulkas and Talisa lay down on the ground and quickly fell into a restful slumber, though the same could not be said for Robb. Lying flat against the wood of the wagon, he peered through leafy branches and up into the night sky. The cold light of the twinkling stars gazed back down at him with the moon illuminating his blue eyes.

It was finally beginning to settle in that he was finally going home; he was returning to Winterfell. It would be different, everything he had ever known about his home would never be the same, but Robb had known that from the very first moment he declared this war. He supposed that the war was technically over now that he was presumed dead by the rest of the world.

What did that mean for him now? How on earth would he rule Winterfell if everyone thought he was dead? So many different scenarios ran through his mind at one time that Robb hardly felt his eyelids growing heavy. Would Winterfell be peaceful now that the Lannisters believe the North to be no threat, or would everyone find out that he wasn't really dead and then do whatever it took to make sure he was killed? The white light in the sky began blurring through his half open eyes.

Would he succeed is restoring Winterfell to it's former state, or would his attempt prove to be pointless? Robb didn't even know who inhabited Winterfell at the time, for all he knew an army or a desolate ghost town could greet him.

Robb's mind swam with the images of what he might find upon his return to his childhood home until his eyelids finally shut out the white light from the moon and his body succumbed to a deep sleep.

* * *

_**So, if this doesn't give it away enough already...Robb, Tulkas, and Talisa still have roles to play in my story, so I figured I'd give you guys a little update on them. Hope you enjoyed it :)**_

_**Remember to leave reviews and let me know what you think!**_

_**Until Next time...**_


	41. Chapter 42

The moonlight was streaming through the Prince's curtains as he tossed and turned on his silk sheets. Tommen was worried for Dimeria; extremely worried. Tommen's brother was not someone many people challenged, but Dimeria seemed to have no problems in doing so. Part of Tommen respected her for that, while another part cringed and coiled at the thought of what Joffrey would do to punish Dimeria for her brusque temper. The Prince could hear his brother's threats of rage after Dimeria had left the room with his Uncle Jaime.

"I want her dead." Joffrey had said. "No, I want her to suffer. I want to make her suffer for everything she's ever done to me!"

Tommen remembered feeling a slight air of relief when his grandfather had scolded Joffrey for speaking that way, saying that Dimeria had never done anything to him. But Tommen's relief was short lived.

"I am King!" Joffrey screamed like the impudent child he was. "I will make her suffer in whatever way I see fit."

Wincing under his covers, Tommen turned over once more to reach across and light the candle on his bedside. He didn't want Dimeria to suffer or die; he liked her...quite a bit really. Dimeria was honest with him and she really didn't seem as horrid as his mother described. Sure, Dimeria lacked the customary manners that ladies of the court possessed, but she couldn't necessarily be blamed for that. No matter what anybody said about Dimeria's unladylike ways, Tommen still believed that after a few years around the ladies in court, Dimeria would be a fine woman and be the most beautiful girl in The Keep.

Tommen wouldn't utter a word of that to his mother though. For years she had been the beauty of the West and she probably wouldn't like to be upstaged by anyone else. In Tommen's mind though, Dimeria already was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Nearly every time Dimeria looked at him with her brilliant blue eyes he blushed. Gods, and that white streak of hair! Tommen thought she was the most magnificent and unique person he had ever met; he considered himself extremely fortunate to have her as a personal guard.

He didn't know how long he just sat there in his bed comparing the luminous light of the moon to the twinkle in Dimeria's eyes, but he soon found his eyelids drooping from weariness. After blowing out his shortened candle, Tommen settled back in his bed. Rolling onto his side, he closed his eyes and pictured what Dimeria might look like if she were a true lady of the court and not just a guard. He fell fast asleep with thought that Dimeria would make a fine bride…

And an even better Queen.

…

The tension was more than palpable in the room. Jaime almost believed that he, Dimeria, and Joffrey were encased in a cloud of anxiety that could be shaped and moved with a wave of their arms. Dimeria and Joffrey were somehow experts at concealing their discomfort though, much to Jaime's annoyance and relief; he wasn't entirely sure what he would do if the two of them broke out into another fight, but he hated how awkward it felt.

"All the Kingsguard will be on duty, of course." Dimera said, vaguely gesturing to the mock layout they had set upon the table.

"Yes, Ser Boros will be stationed here." Jaime said, joining in with the explanation. "And Ser Preston will be stationed here beside the primary entertainment."

King Joffrey looked over the plans with scrutiny, though Jaime assumed that the idiot probably didn't give two shits about what was going on, nor did he actually understand.

"Ser Meryn will guard Lady Margaery and Tommen." Jaime concluded. His words caught the attention of Joffrey's personal guard that had taken to following him around like a lost puppy...an ugly lost puppy.

"I've always guarded the king myself, my Lord." Ser Meryn interjected. "Ever since your absence." He made a point of saying venomously.

Jaime forced himself to stay cool and collected. It wasn't necessarily difficult for him; he had been ignoring the glares and insults from others for most of his life. What was one more slight against him? "And I thank you for it, Ser Meryn." Jaime said with a dangerous glint in his green eyes.

"Yes, yes...all very good." Joffrey interrupted, suddenly becoming bored. "I don't expect any trouble. The people love their king." He gloated.

Jaime didn't have to look at Dimeria to see the eyebrow she had raised in disbelief. Joffrey continued talking himself up. "They know who keeps them fed." He said with a triumphant grin.

"I heard it was Margaery Tyrell." Dimeria scoffed.

Joffrey's eyes snapped up to glare at Dimeria. "By my leave. They know I saved the city, they know I won the war." He insisted almost sounding desperate.

"The war's not won." Jaime said with a sigh. "Not while Stannis lives."

"I broke Stannis on the Blackwater." Joffrey nearly growled. Jaime heard Dimeria release the sigh he felt building up inside himself. Suddenly, Joffrey's irritated glower changed. "Pity you weren't there to help, Uncle."

Once again, Jaime deflected the slander with perfection. "My apologies, Your Grace. I was rather busy."

"Busy being captured." Joffrey bit back as he moved around the table to a rather large book. Jaime sent a quick glance over to Dimeria, mentally willing her to keep her mouth shut. "So this is the famous, 'Book of Brothers'? All the great deeds of the Kingsguard." Joffrey began flipping through the aged pages.

A bristle of discomfort waved through Jaime; he was more than aware that he lacked the customary length of description for the Kingsguard Commanders.

"Ser Arthur Dayne. The Sword of the Morning. Led the attack on the Kingswood Brotherhood. Defeated the Smiling Knight in single combat. Ser Duncan the Tall. Four pages for Ser Duncan. He must have been quite a man. So they say." Joffrey paused as a sinister gleam appeared in his eyes. "Ser Jaime Lannister. Someone forgot to write down all your great deeds." He snickered mockingly.

It felt as if someone was dragging a blunt knife up and down his chest with every word Joffrey spoke. Placing a glazed look of indifference on his face, Jaime shrugged his shoulders to mask his pain. "There's still time."

"Is there?" Joffrey mused. "What is there to write about an old knight who can't even keep himself from getting captured, and then needs to help of a pathetic woman to free him?"

"I wouldn't say she's pathetic, Your Grace. Would you like to see her fighting skills in closer detail? I'm sure Dimeria would be happy to give a demonstration."

Joffrey sneered at both Jaime and Dimeria before calling to Ser Meryn and leaving. Jaime's gaze eventually found it's way to the book lying open to the page with his name on it. The empty space seemed to taunt him in the hazy sunlight pouring through the window. Before he knew it, Jaime's feet were carrying him to the other side of the table with his hand reaching out to grasp the book. Dimeria was quicker though and rushed to the book first, slamming it shut and pressing it firmly against the table so Jaime wouldn't be able to open it back up.

"Don't." She warned him.

"I was putting it away." Jaime said in surrender, though he knew Dimeria wouldn't buy a word of his lie.

"And I can do it for you." She offered him. A sigh escaped Jaime's lips and he ran a hand through his hair. Dimeria's look softened. "Words on a page do not define you, Jaime."

Jaime looked into her eyes and saw the pure and utter belief Dimeria had in him. He knew she was right; he was more than what that book said about him, but somewhere deep down within him, the whispers people said behind his back had taken root and tried to instill doubt in his mind. He couldn't let that happen though; it would ruin him.

"You seem to be the only one that thinks so." Jaime muttered morosely.

"Don't let your past dictate who you are." Dimeria urged him gently. "Let it help you shape what you want to become."

Dimeria's words lifted his heart and he offered her one of his customary smirks. "You know, for how stupid you are...you say some pretty wise things."

Laughing as Dimeria shook her head at him, Jaime reached out to grab her hand. "Thank you." He said seriously.

"You're welcome." Dimeria said with a small smile.

Still gripping her small hand, Jaime relished in the warmth her palm brought to his. He ran his thumb over her knuckles and gave her hand a small squeeze before lifting it up to his lips. Dimeria only pulled away after he placed a small kiss on the back of her hand.

"I have to go. Tyrion requested me to go with him while he welcomes the Prince of Dorne...what's his name?" Dimeria asked.

"Prince Doran." Jaime answered for her.

"Yes, him." Jaime watched on in confusion as Dimeria suddenly shifted her gaze downwards in what looked like embarrassment. "Besides, we shouldn't let anyone see us...like **that.**" Dimeria said.

Jaime assumed that she meant the kiss he placed on her hand. "Why does that matter?"

He held back a chuckle as Dimeria's shoulders tensed in slight vexation. "What would people say if they saw the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard romantically involved with someone like me?" She asked.

"Well, I'm sure they would be jealous." Jaime smirked. Dimeria scowled at his answer as he took a step closer to her. "Why should I care?" He asked her seriously.

Dimeria refused to meet his gaze as he crept closer. "You're not meant to be with anyone, Lannister." She said, trying to keep irritation in her voice, though Jaime heard the tiniest hint of sadness in her tone.

"We both know that didn't happen." Jaime said dryly.

Once again, Dimeria sighed and didn't have to force the displeasure in her voice. "And look what happened when people found out!" Her blue gaze finally met Jaime's. "What would happen if someone who didn't like either of us found out?"

Jaime grasped both of her hands in his, holding on tightly when she tried to pull away. "Do you really think men of the Kingsguard follow the laws of celibacy? They do it all the time and everyone knows." Jaime insisted. "No one cares about them, no one will care about us."

"I don't trust that and I know you don't either...not in King's Landing." Dimeria said with determination. "I won't have you getting in any sort of trouble on my account."

A calming warmth spread throughout Jaime's chest; he had never had someone to protect him like Dimeria was so set upon doing. Jaime had always been the one doing the protecting, not the other way around. It was nice knowing that someone cared about him enough to keep him alive and not just because he was the heir to Casterly Rock; Dimeria was legitimately concerned about his well being.

He retreated from Dimeria and leaned the back of his legs against the table. "Go find Tyrion." Jaime said with a small smile.

Dimeria left without a word, leaving Jaime alone with the Book of Brothers closed on the table. His mind was filled with an overwhelming feeling of happiness; never had he felt so truly touched. Just when he thought Dimeria could shed no more light on his life after practically saving him from the horrid shadows he found himself in for so long, she managed to light yet another candle to illuminate his existence. He almost didn't believe it. After all the dreadful things he had done, Jaime in no way believed he deserved someone as wonderful as Dimeria. Gods, he couldn't lose her...not ever.

With the goofiest grin he had ever worn, Jaime turned around and grasped the Book of Brothers in his hands. A tingling in his fingertips tempted him to open it up, to allow himself to open up his mind to all that negativity, but words spoken long ago by Dimeria whispered into his mind.

"_If you keep reminding people of the bad things they have done, they can never see the goods things that they can do."_

Without any hesitation, Jaime put the book back onto the shelf with a heavy thud. He was putting the bad things away, his mistakes from the past, and looking towards the future. Jaime was done being the Kingslayer. He simply wanted to be: Jaime Lannister.

…

"How many Dornish men does it take to fuck a goat?" Bronn asked crassly.

Dimeria closed her eyes in exasperation. "Gods, why is it you feel you have to open your mouth and inflict your disgusting voice upon everyone's ears?" She snapped at the sellsword.

While he seemed slightly taken aback at Dimeria's rude words, he simply grinned at her response. "Seems to me that the smart place to meet travelers is in a tavern." Dimeria groaned and turned away from him to step closer to Tyrion. "That way, one party is late, the other can drink some ale inside."

"This is the Prince of Dorne we're waiting for, not one of your sellsword friends." Tyrion scolded lightly with his eyes focused on the road in front of him. Any minute he expected the banners of Dorne to appear.

Dimeria gazed at her surroundings; the tall trees with birds fluttering to and fro from the branches. It was a nice reprieve from the dull stones of the Red Keep in which she had been stuck inside for quite a while now. She hadn't had much time to explore the outdoors around King's Landing except for the shore of Blackwater Bay.

"If he's so damned important, how come they sent you to meet him?" Bronn's voice snapped Dimeria out of her peaceful reverie and she placed a cold glare on him for his rude question towards Tyrion.

"There's bad blood between the Martells of Dorne and Lannisters of Casterly Rock, has been for years." Tyrion spoke through pursed lips.

"And just in case the Martells of Dorne are looking to spill some Lannister blood, it may as well be yours, eh?" Bronn asked with an amused smirk.

Dimeria rolled her eyes and crossed her arms in front of her chest all the while tapping her foot in impatience. Perhaps this would have been a bit more enjoyable if Bronn's ever-speaking mouth were gone.

"Now I see why you brought Lady Dimeria here also." Bronn said. "Are you trying to say you don't think I'm good enough to protect you?"

Tyrion's brows dropped in a frown as his irritation became more obvious. "There was no offense implied. I simply thought Lady Dimeria would benefit in meeting our Dornish company; she has limited knowledge of the Seven Kingdoms after all." Tyrion explained. He looked to Bronn then who didn't seem to believe much of what he was saying. "And there's no harm in having extra protection." Tyrion said in defense of himself.

Bronn laughed and stood up to saunter over to Dimeria who sent him a warning glance that could've frozen a dragon's fire. Instead of driving him away though, it only brought another grin to his weathered face.

"I've heard you're good with a sword." He said to her. "We could have a go together in the training yard….Or perhaps in the bedroom." Bronn offered.

His crude words made Dimeria want to wretch. "Your very existence sickens me." Dimeria said bluntly, earning a snicker from both Tyrion and Podrick who had remained silent for most of the time.

Bronn's eyes widened as he looked on at Dimeria with amusement but also slight irritation. "You're a right bitch, did ya know that?" He asked.

"I pride myself on it, actually." Dimeria answered indifferently.

"Banners." Podrick's voice suddenly interrupted, putting a stop to the argument that beginning to built up.

Everyone's head snapped forward at Podrick's voice. Horses with their riders carrying their colorful banners were steadily pacing towards them. Dimeria squinted her eyes in an effort to make out the details on the banners, not that she knew where any of them were from.

"Can you read the sigils?" Bronn asked on Dimeria's right side.

Much to the three other's surprise; Podrick was the one to begin describing each sigil that was arriving towards them. Dimeria's eyes flitted back and forth, trying to find each banner that Podrick was describing. After the second banner, she gave up and heaved an irritated sigh.

"And house Martell, a red sun pierced by a spear?" Tyrion asked Podrick, anxious to get the meeting over with.

Podrick craned his neck slightly to get a better view, but reported that he didn't see any banner of the sort. Dimeria furrowed her brow, while Tyrion stifled a sigh of vexation; where the hell was the Prince of Dorne?

As the large company of horses finally drew near to all of them, Dimeria cocked an eyebrow in curiosity and slight wariness. Just as Tyrion strode forward to greet them, Dimeria protectively followed him, though Bronn gently pulled her back so as to not let her hover where she was not welcome.

"Well met, my lords." Tyrion's diplomatic voice sounded. "His grace King Joffrey welcomes you in his name. My Lord father, the King's Hand, sends his greetings as well. I am Tyrion Lannister of Casterly Rock, Master of Coin." He finally concluded.

Dimeria suddenly began thinking how fortunate she was not to have any titles; she would hate having to recite them every time she spoke with someone. A sigh escaped her lips as she rolled her eyes; she was ready to move about, for she hated being forced to stand still for certain amounts of time.

"Forgive me," Tyrion continued with practiced politeness seeping into his voice. "But I do not see Prince Doran in your company."

The man atop the horse finally spoke for the first time. "The Prince's health forces him to remain at Sunspear. He sends his brother Prince Oberyn to attend the royal wedding in his stead."

Dimeria's patience began wearing thin at this news. "Well then where is he?" She snapped at the man.

The man regarded Dimeria suspiciously, though the gaze suddenly shifted into one look as if he was staring at a pathetic insect, thus ruffling Dimeria's nerves even further. "He arrived before dawn. Not a man for welcome parties, our Prince." The man said. Without another word, he spurred his horse forward with the rest of his company following.

Tyrion moved out of the way with a stunned and annoyed look on his face, though Dimeria was the one to voice his anger. "Why the hell did we come out here if Prince...Bomberin already arrived?!"

"Prince Oberyn." Podrick corrected her.

"I don't care!" Dimeria said, throwing up her hand to silence him. "We don't even know where he is now."

Tyrion gritted his teeth. "Then I suggest we split up and try to find him." The dwarf spun away from the other three then, heading in a direction that Dimeria didn't know to go find Prince Oberyn.

Biting her lip in exasperation, Dimeria looked back at Podrick and Bronn. "Where do you suggest looking first?" She asked them.

Bronn pursed his lips in contemplation. "A man has just arrived in King's Landing after two weeks of bad roads...where do you think he'd go?"

Dimeria felt her shoulders drop in disappointment. "A brothel, really?"

The sellsword shrugged his shoulders. "I'd probably go to sleep, but I'm getting old."

…

Dimeria had never been inside a brother before; in fact, she had never even been near one. Just by simply standing on the street where the whorehouse was located Dimeria could smell the perfume that permeated from the lilac and rose-colored windows. Red flushed Dimeria's cheeks at the thought that she would have to enter the establishment...at least she would have Bronn and Podrick with her. Or so she thought.

"This is it, right?" Dimeria turned to ask Bronn.

"Yes, it is." He answered with a grin.

With a heavy sigh, Dimeria rubbed her temple to rid herself of the stress. "Well, let's get this over with then."

A mischievous glint lit up in Bronn eyes, while a shadow of shame pass over Podrick's. Bronn put a hand on the squire's should as he continued chuckling to himself. "I'm afraid we won't be joining you."

Fury ignited on Dimeria's face suddenly. "Are you joking?!" She screamed at him.

Bronn covered his chest with his hand, faking pain at her comment. "My lady, I'm offended you would make such a suggestion...Of course I'm not joking, I'm dead serious."

"Gods, I wish I could just...cut your tongue out and feed it to the birds!" Dimeria raged.

"Those are very unladylike words…" Bronn teased, nudging Podrick with his elbow, though the squire seemed less than thrilled about the situation he was in.

"I am not going in there by myself." She declared.

"You have to!" Bronn insisted. "Honestly, what would it look like if dear Podrick and myself were seen walking into a whorehouse?"

"You are so full of shit." Dimeria spat at him.

"Alright, alright…" Bronn began relenting. "I just think it would be funny making you go in there by yourself."

Arguing with Bronn was almost as bad as arguing with Jaime, and Dimeria had just about had it. That damn sellsword was sending her in there just to make fun of her; well, Dimeria was determined to prove that she could do it. With another irritated sigh, Dimeria clenched her hands and spun on her heel to face the entrance of the brothel.

_Just get in...and then out…_ Dimeria told herself. _It'll be over before you know it…_

Forcing herself not to think about it, Dimeria opened and closed to door. Eyes forward, not down or side-to-side…just forward. Groans and screams of pleasure assaulted Dimeria's ears, setting her cheeks on fire and her making her stomach drop with overwhelming sickness. How did people spend their lives in places like this? Her neck and entire face felt hot with mortification, and was made even worse when the stares of both men and whores turned to her.

Where the hell was she even going? This place was a maze of appalling behaviors and sinful pleasures; Dimeria wasn't sure if she would make it out with her mind intact. She came to secluded hallway; most of the doors closed, but hardly muffling any of the distasteful sounds coming from the other side. Only one door at the very end was open and seemed fairly quiet; perhaps that was her best choice? Dimeria honestly had no clue how to go about finding Prince Oberyn.

She stepped into the room with shoulders back and head held high, but her feet and eyes showed her true trepidation and anxiety. While she thought the room was empty, Dimeria found the complete opposite. Upon entering, she found a line of several whores, bearing their bodies to all present in the room.

And by complete accident, Dimeria found herself nearly standing in that line, looking as if she was choosing to present herself to Prince Oberyn.

* * *

**Yay for another update! Next chapter we'll have the official introduction of Oberyn and Ellaria, so you all have that to look forward to! Thanks to everyone for the continued support and to everyone who followed.**

**Remember to leave your thoughts, I love your reviews!**

**Until next time...**


	42. Chapter 43

_**A/N: Hello lovely readers! The entrance of Oberyn and Ellaria has arrived, woohoo! I really, really love Oberyn so I loved writing this chapter.**_

_**Thank you to all who reviewed: Bella-swan11, Lya, Misskymm, Aranel Silvertongue, ladyres, ZabuzasGirl, truebluevampire, and guest! And also to my new followers; I'm so glad you all took the time to read this story and have decided to stick with it. It means so much to me!**_

* * *

Oberyn didn't like his playthings to be shy and timid; he wanted them bold and fierce, willing to try anything and everything he and his lovely paramour decided to do. He wanted each encounter to be better than the last and maybe even louder each time.

Out of the girls he was looking at now, only one proved to be as daring as he and Ellaria desired; the others were too...ordinary. The man presenting these women though, Oberyn thought him to be extremely intriguing. Blonde hair, blue eyes, and a devilish grin, oh yes, things would definitely be a lot more entertaining with this man's presence.

Just when he was about to offer the man a spot in the bed next to him, another presence made itself known. Now **this** girl was interesting. Her cheeks were flushed and her breasts were slightly heaving with deep breaths, making it look like she was trying to calm herself down. Her hair hung down all the way to her waist even in a braid, while wisps from her unique strand of white hair hung around her. She was perfect. Even Ellaria seemed enthralled by her, completely abandoning her conversation with one of the other whores.

Oberyn wanted this girl. The only thing disappointing about her was that she still had clothes on.

"My dear," Oberyn's thick accented voice drawled out. "This is a whorehouse, I don't think you're supposed to have those clothes on." He said with a smirk.

Dimeria narrowed her eyes. "You have your clothes on." She retorted.

"I can change that if you'd like." Oberyn offered. Dimeria's cheeks flushed once more, bringing another smile to Oberyn's face and a soft chuckle from Ellaria.

"Who is this beauty?" Ellaria's musical voice sounded.

"I'm afraid I do not know...she's not affiliated with this establishment." The procurer said, gazing at Dimeria suspiciously.

"A shame…" Ellaria said. "You would make much more money with someone like her." She said as she gracefully walked closer to Dimeria.

Words could not even express how uncomfortable Dimeria felt. Her throat tightened with embarrassment and her cheeks felt like her baby dragons were roasting her face alive. The gazes she was receiving from these 2 unknown people made her want to shrivel up into a hole and never come back out.

As the begrudgingly alluring woman made her way to closer to Dimeria, the air seemed to constrict even closer around the warrior's body. The other woman seemed not to have any qualms about invading personal space, but still, Dimeria could not force her feet to move away. A hand reached out to stroke Dimeria's arm, sending uncomfortable shivers up and down her spine. Suddenly, an amused smirk came upon the woman's face.

"You're not even a whore, are you?" Ellaria asked Dimeria.

"No." Dimeria breathed out.

The woman then turned to look at the man, whom Dimeria assumed to be her primary lover. "I bet she still has her maidenhead." She chuckled at him.

Oberyn laughed along and stepped forward to join his paramour directly in front of Dimeria, somehow making her feel even more uncomfortable than she had before if that was possible. Fearing that a simple breath would bring her within skin-to-skin contact with the two of them, Dimeria held her breath to halt movement.

"What is your name?" Oberyn asked Dimeria.

Just as she was about to answer, a musical tune floated into the room. It seemed to catch the attention of everyone in the room, changing the once sexual atmosphere into one of tense anger. The source of the anger seemed to be coming from Oberyn, though Dimeria had no clue why.

"Oberyn, don't." Ellaria said, knowing exactly why he was upset.

_Oberyn…_

Realization dawned upon Dimeria, but it was already too late. The Prince had already charged out of the room, with Ellaria behind him.

"Wait…" Dimeria stuttered out as she turned to trail after them. "Wait!" She called louder.

Oberyn led the way into another room where two men, soldiers it looked like, were singing the Reins of Castamere to their whores. Dimeria ran into the room not long after Oberyn and Ellaria, though the woman stopped Dimeria from going any further. As soon as Dimeria recognized the men as soldiers for the Lannisters, she shifted her head to keep her face hidden; she didn't need them getting the wrong idea about why she was in a brothel.

"You lost, friend?" One of the soldiers questioned when Oberyn made his presence known.

"Forgive me for staring. I don't see many Lannisters where I'm from." Oberyn said, fully aware of whom these men were.

"And I don't see many Dornishmen in the capitol."

"We don't like the smell." Oberyn said with a slight sneer.

Ellaria stepped forward then, trying to stop the scene she knew was about to happen. "Come with me, lover." She said.

"Gods, looks at this one." The soldiers said, gawking at Ellaria. Dimeria didn't necessarily blame them though; the woman truly was gorgeous. Despite the fact that Dimeria was trying to keep her face hidden, the soldiers' gaze eventually shifted to her. "Well, well, well...is that Lady Dimeria I see back there?" One soldier asked.

"Are you with this Dornish piece of shit?" The other asked.

Before Dimeria got the chance to defend herself, the first soldier spoke again, this time to the procurer who had finally made his way into the room. "Why are you wasting women like these on a Dornishman? Bring him a shaved goat and a bottle of olive oil!" He said as he gestured to Oberyn.

Even though Dimeria had no real acquaintanceship with Oberyn or Ellaria, she suddenly felt rather defensive of them at the soldiers' words. She furrowed her brows in anger and crossed her arms in front of her chest defiantly, giving them a look of utter hatred. Oberyn, on the other hand, seemed rather unfazed by their crude comments, though anyone close to him, such as Ellaria, could see the burning fires of hatred within his eyes. His already bronze skin seemed to glow even brighter with anger, but the two Lannister guards were not as frightened as Dimeria thought they should be; this Prince Oberyn man was clearly a dangerous person, though she wasn't quite sure why he was so angry in the first place.

"Do you know why all the world hates a Lannister?" Oberyn asked smoothly. "You think your gold and your lions and gold lions make you better than everyone." He paused for a moment as he continued strolling closer to the guards. "May I tell you a secret? You are not a golden lion. You're just a pink little man who is far too slow on the draw."

It was then that the man closest to Oberyn moved to draw his sword, but Oberyn was quicker. Much quicker.

Making even Dimeria flinch with surprise, Oberyn drew a dagger and pierced the guard's opposite hand, attaching it to the table as the blade pushed through to the other side of the man's wrist. Sudden fear and apprehension filled Dimeria, though it was tempered with a kind of morbid admiration for Oberyn. Dimeria herself probably would've pulled the same stunt had she been angry enough, though she wasn't sure if she would've been anywhere near as graceful as Oberyn had been.

Agonizing groans escaped the injured guard's throat as Oberyn continued to hold the blade in his wrist; it was an ugly yet fascinating scene in Dimeria's eyes.

"A longsword is a bad option in close quarters." Oberyn said, taunting the man still sitting in pain. His companion, the other guard, had since then stood up to fight off Oberyn, but the Dornishman's words stopped his movements.

"When I pull my blade, your friend starts bleeding." He warned the man. "Quite a lot I'm afraid. So many veins in the wrist." Oberyn said with a malicious grin. His grip tightened on the dagger, ever so slightly shifting it within the man's wrist. The other guard hesitated then, not knowing exactly what he should do: attack the man harming his fellow guard, or go get help.

"He'll live if you go get help right away." It was Dimeria's voice that helped the man decide what to do. She had stepped closer to Oberyn by then, unconsciously flexing her wrists, for it seemed she was having ghost pains the longer she stared at the injured wrist with a blade sticking through it.

The Lannister guard scampered off in fear. Turning around as if the man whose wrist he just impaled didn't exist, Oberyn gave Dimeria a curious look. "These men know you." He stated.

"Obviously." Dimeria said, rather stupidly considering what Oberyn had just done to the other man.

"How? Who are you?" Oberyn asked, holding his arm out to welcome Ellaria as she stepped in closer.

Just as Dimeria was about to answer, another voice interrupted her; it almost looked like a completely different voice coming out of her open mouth.

"Prince Oberyn!" Dimeria turned to see Tyrion walk in, flanked by at least three other guards, one of them being Bronn with a stupid grin on his face. Dimeria wanted to smack it right off of him. "Forgive the intrusion, we had heard there might be…" Tyrion finally took a moment to take in the scene before him, ending with the guard who still had his wrist impaled to the table. "Trouble." He concluded.

_Nice timing, Tyrion..._ Dimera thought to herself.

…

Bringing complete and utter relief to Dimeria, everyone decided to leave the room with the impaled wrist to conduct formal introductions. With Tyrion at the lead and Prince Oberyn and Ellaria behind, Dimeria was left to drift at the back with Bronn who just seem incapable of controlling himself.

"See? I knew you'd find him in there." He said nudging her arm.

She pushed him away with a growl, refusing to look at him. "Don't. Touch. Me."

Bronn only chuckled in response, only containing his laughter as he ogled the women seductively strutting by. They all came into a group as they entered the parlor signifying the exit was near, everyone looking at each other with curiosity and suspicion.

"I'm here to welcome you to the capital." Tyrion said in an effort to break the silence.

Oberyn nodded and with an arm around her waist, made his own introductions with Ellaria. "Ellaria Sand, my paramour." He said to Tyrion and turning to Ellaria he said, "The king's own uncle imp; Tyrion, son of Tywin Lannister."

Ignoring the comment about being an imp, Tyrion continued with the formalities. "If there's anything I can do to make your stay-"

"What are you?" Oberyn interrupted, gesturing to Bronn. "His hired killer?"

"It started that way, aye." Bronn said. "Now I'm a knight."

"And how did that come to pass?" Oberyn asked with a tilt of his head.

Bronn shrugged. "Killed the right people I suppose."

That earned a chuckle from Oberyn, who apparently approved of Bronn with just that small interaction. It was then that he turned back to Dimeria, a haze of lust still clouding his eyes as he scoured her body up and down.

"And I suppose that she killed the right people too since she apparently doesn't sleep with the right people." He said bringing a blush to Dimeria's cheeks that she couldn't stop.

"I figure there's more to life than just sex." She responded through clenched teeth.

"Maybe, but all of that is far less pleasurable." He said with a smirk. "What is your name?"

"Dimeria." She grumbled.

"Beautiful name." Oberyn commented with an alluring drawl.

Dimeria looked away, hating the fact that this man had the ability to make her feel uncomfortable in ways she hadn't ever really thought about. The fact that he was so open about his sex life completely baffled her.

A deep breath sounded beside her from Tyrion as he once more put forth the effort to defuse the growing tension.

"Prince Oberyn, if I may have a word...in private." Tyrion said.

Giving his consent, Oberyn followed Tyrion to the exit of the brothel while Bronn, Ellaria, and Dimeria were left behind. After barely a second thought, Dimera took quick steps to follow Tyrion out of the brothel.

"Dimeria, do you not understand the meaning of the word, 'private'?" Tyrion asked with irritation.

"You think I'm actually going to stay in there for another moment?" Dimeria asked with disbelief. "Absolutely not."

Tyrion sighed and turned back to Oberyn. "The king is very grateful that you traveled all this way for his wedding."

Dimeria snorted and rolled her eyes, unable to hold back her contempt for Joffrey. Surprisingly to her, Oberyn didn't seem to mind her wordless commentary for he, too, rolled his eyes at Tyrion's formal, yet pointless dialogue.

"Let us speak truth here. Joffrey is insulted." Oberyn said matter-of-factly. "I am only the second son after all."

"Well, speaking as a fellow second son, I have grown rather used to being the family insult." Tyrion said. Oberyn chuckled along with Tyrion much to Dimeria's surprise, and she felt a small smile creep onto her face, though a sad smile it was as she thought about Tyrion being the disappointment of his family.

"Why did you come to King's Landing, Prince Oberyn?" Tyrion said, interrupting the light mood.

Oberyn's eyes flashed dangerously, much like the way they did when he attacked the Lannister soldiers back in the brothel. "I was invited to the royal wedding." He answered with an emotionless mask.

Dimeria furrowed her brows; of course he was there for the wedding, what more was there to it? She sighed; Gods, the politics in King's Landing drove her nuts.

"I thought we were speaking truth." Tyrion said.

Oberyn met Tyrion's challenging gaze with an intense one of his own, sending a slight shiver down Dimeria's spine. Although the man made her uncomfortable, she couldn't deny that he intrigued her greatly.

"The last time I was in the capital was many years ago." Oberyn began. "Another wedding."

"Whose?" Dimeria asked curiously.

A look overcame Oberyn's face then, with a darkness unlike any of the other hazes Dimeria had ever seen within his eyes. With a storm swirling in his orbs, Oberyn took a deep breath, though it seemed to do nothing to his tense demeanor.

"My sister Elia and Rhaegar Targaryen, the last dragon."

Dimeria felt her breath catch in her throat. Rhaegar Targaryen, her...half-brother? Yes, that sounded right. The conversation suddenly took a much more interesting turn as far as Dimeria was concerned and she turned her body to cast full attention on the Prince of Dorne.

"My sister loved him. She bore his children. Swaddled them, rocked them, fed them at her own breast." Oberyn's eyes seemed to narrow, whether from anger or just remembrance, Dimeria could not tell. "Elia wouldn't let the wet nurse touch them."

_Okay...where is this going…?_ Dimeria thought to herself.

"And beautiful, noble Rhaegar Targaryen left her for another woman."

Dimeria tried desperately not to let her surprise register on her face, but she could feel her mouth drop open the tiniest bit and her eyes widen substantially; she had heard bits and pieces of this story, but it sounded so different now that she knew whom Rhaegar was to her, and also the fact that it was coming from this heated, passionate Dornishman. His point of view seemed to have the same changing effect that Jaime's had when he was recalling how he had killed Aerys Targaryen.

"That started a war and the war ended right here when your father's army took the city…" Oberyn said, shifting his growing ire towards Tyrion.

Upon the dwarf's face was a look of understanding, though that did not stop him from defending himself. "I wasn't actually present." Tyrion tried to interrupt.

"...and butchered those children." Oberyn spat out. "My nephew and niece. Carved them up and wrapped them in Lannister cloaks."

Dimeria closed her eyes in horrid realization. The slight panic she felt at the fact that Oberyn possibly hated Targaryens suddenly faded into the understanding that it was the Lannisters that he hated. **That** was the reason for the bad blood that Tyrion spoke about earlier; everything was finally beginning to come out of the blurred vision and into a clear scope.

"And my sister, you know what they did to her?" Oberyn asked and when Tyrion did not answer he spoke, "I'm asking you a question."

"I've heard rumors." Tyrion muttered.

Oberyn chuckled darkly. "So have I." His almond eyes turned to Dimeria. "And you, Lady Dimeria, have you ever heard any of the rumors?"

Dimeria could honestly say that she hadn't, so she simply shook her head in response. Oberyn nodded, making a small note of how odd it was that someone who lived in King's Landing hadn't heard of any of these stories.

"The one rumor that I keep hearing is that Gregor Clegane the mountain raped Elia and split her in half with his great sword." Oberyn said. The mention of rape had Dimeria mentally cringing; she was fortunate enough to have been spared from such a torment, but nothing could ever make her forget how she had come so close to losing everything.

"I wasn't there. I don't know what happened." Tyrion said, neglecting to make eye contact with the Dornish Prince.

"Tell your father I'm here." Oberyn said as he stepped even closer to Tyrion, looming over him like a gargoyle. "And tell him the Lannisters aren't the only ones who pay their debts."

Oberyn finally started forward as if he was getting ready to depart from them, but he stopped suddenly, facing Dimeria for the first time without any hint of lust in his eyes.

"You work for the Lannisters, I assume." Oberyn said, and before Dimeria could say anything in confirmation to his assumption, he continued. "I would advise you for your own sake, to pick and choose your orders from them. You never know what enemies you might make in the process."

And with the heat of Oberyn's threat left to hang over her, Dimeria walked back to the Red Keep with Tyrion at her side, all the while still debating what she thought of Oberyn. Was she scared of him, attracted to him, or simply just scared that she might be attracted to him? Whatever it was, Dimeria was more than certain that he was not someone she wanted as an enemy.

* * *

_**So, I hope you all enjoyed that! I know some of you wanted Dimeria to completely blow Oberyn away, but that's just not who she is. She's completely oblivious to the world of sex, so it makes sense that Oberyn and Ellaria coming on to her would make her uncomfortable. **_

_**And just as a heads up, the big wedding chapter is coming up in a couple of updates...I've been working hard on this one, so I'm hoping you guys enjoy it when it gets here :) Remember to leave reviews!**_

_**Until next time...**_


	43. Chapter 44

"You never told me that the Martell's and Lannisters had bad blood." Dimeria spoke as she sat up against the cold stonewall of the dungeons watching her dragons.

Jaime sent her a queer look from his spot on the floor beside her. "It never occurred to me that you would be particularly interested in it."

"I mean, it seems to be common knowledge for everyone else." Dimeria spat out with the smallest hint of resentment.

"Well, not everyone is a bastard child that was raised in Castle Black." Jaime said with a laugh in order to alleviate the tension Dimeria was giving off. When it seemed to have the opposite effect, signalled by an irritated sigh from her, Jaime decided to try a more straightforward approach. "Why the sudden interest?" He asked.

Dimeria bit her lip as she watched her dragons take small, yet vicious bites off the chunk of meat she had tossed to them. They had already grown a little bit over the course of the few weeks they had been alive and were showing more signs of aggression, but Dimeria had yet to see them blow any type of spark from their mouths; it was probably a good thing the longer she thought about it.

"I met the Prince of Dorne today." She finally stated.

"Prince Doran, you told me this morning." Jaime responded.

"No, his brother...Prince Oberyn."

"Ah, Prince Doran decided not to attend then? Hm…" Jaime said contemplatively. "And how did that go?" He asked Dimeria.

A blush erupted on Dimeria's cheeks blazing nearly as bright as the fire they lit in the sconce on the wall. The vivid recollection of her first meeting with Oberyn had her feeling just as uncomfortable now as when it actually happened and she suddenly felt her brows furrowing in sickness and discomfort.

"Are you blushing?" Jaime asked; his voice filled with amusement. An irritated sigh came from Dimeria's nose since her lips were pursed, confirming Jaime's observation. "You're blushing!" Suddenly, after giving more thought as to why she may be blushing, Jaime became more suspicious. "Why are you blushing?"

"Say 'blushing' one more time and I'll punch you." Dimeria threatened, trying to hide her mounting embarrassment.

"Why is your face red?" He countered.

"Prince Oberyn is an...Interesting person." Dimeria said vaguely.

"Interesting?" Jaime scoffed. "Interesting as in...he seems like a nice person, which I seriously doubt, or interesting as in...he makes you all tingly inside."

Dimeria glared at him spitefully. "Neither! He-" An idea suddenly popped into her mind. "Why? Are you jealous?"

Jaime laughed at the absurd insinuation. "Of course not...I don't get jealous…" He said, though Dimeria didn't believe a word of it.

"Sure you don't." Dimeria said with a shake of her head.

Looking to change the subject back to his original question, Jaime took a deep breath to collect himself. "Honestly, why were you blushing? Or rather...are-your cheeks are still red."

Dimeria rolled her eyes, though didn't ignore the question like she wanted to since there was no point in doing so; she knew Jaime would keep pestering her until he got an answer. "He was in...a-a brothel." Dimeria forced out uncomfortably. "And he...he was looking all of these whores, and…"

Jaime interrupted her before she could finish. "Dimeria, you were brought up around men at Castle Black that were put in prison for rape. Are you telling me that you were embarrassed about people having sex?" He asked in disbelief.

"Just because I've been around men who have raped women doesn't mean I'm comfortable with the thought of having sex!" Dimeria said in anger. "Yes, I can take care of myself if one of them happens to threaten me, but that's just it...I'd do anything to avoid...**that.**" She grumbled.

An awkward silence ensued afterwards; Dimeria fuming in anger and Jaime reveling in guilt. "I'm sorry for interrupting...what happened at the brothel?" Jaime asked.

After a sigh, Dimeria went on with her story. "He was looking at all of these...whores, and I didn't realize what was going on and I just...I ended up being in line with the rest of them." She winced as she thought about it. "He thought that I was...presenting myself to him and his paramour as he calls her. They were more than clear about what they wanted from me."

Dimeria kept her eyes drawn to the ground, feeling too uncomfortable to look Jaime in the eyes as they were discussing a topic like this. When the immediate response that Dimeria had expected did not come, she finally decided to cautiously peer at him and the expression she saw on Jaime's face caught her a bit off guard if she had to be completely honest.

His blonde brows were furrowed forward in a frown and his nostrils seemed to flare like a furious bull. A fire glinted in his eyes, a fire that was not just a reflection of the sconce on the wall. Had Jaime's hands actually been visible, Dimeria would have seen them clenched tightly with the knuckles turning ghostly white. With pursed lips, it seemed that he was hardly breathing at all except for forcefully controlled falling and rising of his broad chest.

Dimeria had never been adept in the area of feelings; she had never cared to be, but she knew Jaime better than most people...except for his siblings, but that was a different matter. The fact was, after taking a few moments to wonder why Jaime was so angry, for she at first feared that he was for some stupid reason upset with her; she figured it out: Jaime was jealous.

A short and unbelieving laugh escaped her mouth when the thought finally dawned upon her. "You're jealous…" She stated more than she actually asked.

Jaime said nothing, but turned his head away from Dimeria.

Dimeria snorted. "That's kinda funny actually." She said with a grin.

Jaime's head snapped back to attention then. "And why is that?" He questioned.

"You just said that you never get jealous." She laughed. "I just find it interesting...I guess I don't really understand why you're upset." Dimeria explained with a shrug.

"You don't understand?" Jaime asked incredulously. Dimeria just shook her head. "Would you not get jealous if one of those whores was all over me?"

Dimeria smirked as she thought about it. "I don't think so…" She envisioned a girl practically throwing herself at Jaime and snorted. "No."

Jaime was taken aback at her words. Did she not realize that she just insulted him? He shook his head; he normally wouldn't have been so offended by Dimeria, but that was quite a dig on his pride, one that he was not so used to receiving. Women always drooled at his feet; they were always so catty with each other if he decided to mindlessly play with them and pay more attention to one than the other. He should have expected Dimeria to be different from all those other women, but for some reason he hadn't.

Not realizing how long he had been musing on her statement, Jaime suddenly found himself shocked back into reality with Dimeria's next words.

"But I mean...thank you for the compliment. I guess jealousy could be twisted into a compliment when you really think about it." She said nonchalantly.

Jaime scoffed. "You're really heartless sometimes, ya know." He said bluntly.

"So I've been told." Dimeria said unfazed.

Jaime found himself feeling rather disappointed. Was this how it was always going to be between them? Dimeria had feelings for him, she had admitted so herself, so why was she pushing him out as if she didn't? Jaime didn't like it, not one bit. He was tired of hiding his feelings. For his entire life he had hidden his relationship with Cersei; what a disaster that turned out to be, but he didn't want that with Dimeria.

He just didn't understand. Did she not have a special place in her heart as he did for her? His heart dropped into the pit of his stomach. That thought hurt more than anything Dimeria might have said.

Standing up from his spot, Jaime shook his head from the pain, and began dusting himself off from sitting on the floor. "Well, nice to know how you feel about the people who care about you." He said bitterly.

"What?" Dimeria said as she followed his lead and stood up. "What are you-" She was suddenly cut off by a loud slam of the door coming from the top of the stairs.

With limbs more rigid than the stone she had been sitting against, Dimeria ceased her breathing immediately. The shadows from the dancing fires flashed over her face ominously, fanning the flame that had erupted in her heart into a blazing inferno. She fearfully flitted her eyes towards her dragons, irrationally worrying that her eyelashes were sending gusts of wind stronger than a hurricane. There they were, sitting upon the ground without a worry in the world, but that didn't calm Dimeria one bit. So still had Dimeria been for fear of moving that she could feel her heart beating all throughout her body; her fingers and toes, her arms and legs, her stomach and head pounded relentlessly.

_They can't find my dragons!_ Her mind screamed, threatening to turn into more than just a thought. A tightening in Dimeria's chest urged her to shout out, but it seemed that her common sense was doing a satisfactory job of keeping a hold on her fear-compelled instincts.

After a couple minutes of agonizing silence, Dimeria was awakened from her horrifying reverie by an almost imperceptible shuffle of Jaime's feet. He had taken a step backwards to be closer to Dimeria, but kept his body facing forward should an attacker suddenly spring out of the darkness. There really was no reason to worry about Dimeria if they were to get in a fight, but Jaime could not quell his instinct to protect her with everything he had. He held his arm out to ensure she positioned herself behind him and much to his surprise, Dimeria did not object.

Hidden behind Jaime's form, Dimeria dared to peek over his shoulder on her tiptoes. Her warm breath tickled Jaime's neck, though he forced himself not to flinch or shiver from it. Another minute or so passed without so much as a scratching sound. Not even Dimeria's dragons were making any noises; they seemed to have caught on to the fact that something was wrong and they were suddenly crouching over by the old dragon skull in a defensive position.

"We should go check it out." Dimeria whispered right behind his shoulder. It was almost as if she was directing her words straight into his ear to make sure they didn't make unnecessary sounds.

Jaime nodded slowly. "Stay behind me."

Once again, Dimeria complied with no argument. Not only was it important that no one found her dragons, but Dimeria was adamant on remaining unseen; she couldn't have anyone suspect her, or else they might feel reason to further investigate her.

Jaime began making his move towards the stairs out of the dungeon with Dimeria following a few steps behind. His hand grasped his sword handle in preparation of finding an intruder; he only hoped that the confrontation wouldn't come to bloodshed. The journey up the stairs was excruciating, feeling almost as long as the journey back to King's Landing all the way from the North with Dimeria. There was thankfully no sound coming from Dimeria's footsteps behind him and Jaime suddenly felt a trickle of confidence enter his chest; whoever was in the dungeons wouldn't hear them coming until it was too late.

With each step Dimeria's focus seemed to intensify until her heartbeat was a steady rhythm preparing her for what was about to come. The landing at the top of the stairs suddenly creeped into her vision.

One step, two steps, three…

Her hand went to the handle of her sword-the sword Jaime had given to her.

Four steps, five, six…

She inhaled a deep breath through her nose, eyes fixated on the darkness where the landing was.

Seven, eight, nine…

With a grit of their teeth, Jaime and Dimeria unsheathed their swords and lunged onto the landing. Their blades were certain to be a blur of death for whoever was up there. Up onto the level ground they went, but…

No one was there.

Furrowed brows of confusion replaced the once battle-ready visages as they came up to the door. The two warriors whipped their heads around hurriedly, but there was nowhere the mystery person could have been if not on the landing.

Jaime was the first the replace his sword, but Dimeria still gripped hers in irritation; where the hell was this person?!

"I don't understand…" She breathed out in frustration. Suddenly, with a snap of her head, Dimeria sheathed her blade and headed out the door to go back into the main halls of the King's Landing.

"Dimeria…" Jaime said, going out the door, but only to make sure she didn't do anything stupid. Only the Gods knew what she would do to the one who discovered her dragons.

Dimeria looked down both ends of the hallway, but saw nothing, save for the billions of dust particles made visible by the sunlight streaming in through the windows.

"You're not going to find them now, little warrior." Jaime said behind her.

"Where are they?" Dimeria nearly growled at him.

Jaime shrugged. "Obviously not here." His comment earned a glare from Dimeria, but he ignored it. "It was probably some servant getting things ready for the wedding."

Dimeria only shook her head. Even Jaime knew that theory was farfetched; this wasn't a part of the castle that people just randomly ventured to. The banging on the door was likely no coincidence.

With a few moments of hopeless searching passed, Jaime's sudden irritation with Dimeria entered his mind once again and he frowned. "We should get going anyway. I need to get things ready for tomorrow." Jaime said. He began to walk away, but Dimeria caught his arm.

"Lannister, wait." She spun him around to face her. "What did you mean back there?" Jaime refused to make eye contact with her. "You know how I feel about you." Dimeria said.

"I thought I did." He answered curtly. "But the fact that you wouldn't care if there were other women all over me makes me question that."

Dimeria's eyes nearly popped out of her head. "Jaime, I-"

She didn't even have a chance to finish her sentence before Jaime abruptly turned and stalked away from her.

…

Dimeria pondered over Jaime's sour attitude for almost the rest of the day. Of course she had feelings for Jaime; hadn't they already established that? What had she done wrong? Biting her lip and twirling a strand of hair around her finger, a sigh escaped her lungs. It didn't make any sense to her, but then again, nothing about emotions and relationships ever clicked in her mind. She groaned as she walked through the long hallway to Prince Tommen's room.

_This is why I hate getting attached and involved with people…_ She thought to herself.

Didn't Jaime understand why she didn't think women being in love with him didn't bother her?

"Apparently not…" She muttered to herself.

Forcing herself to push the thoughts out of her mind, Dimeria finally came upon Prince Tommen's door. After a knock and Tommen's consent of her entrance, Dimeria pushed her way through.

"Dimeria!" Tommen greeted with a wide smile. "I haven't seen you all day."

She tried to return Tommen's happy greeting, but couldn't seem to shake the somber mood her musing over Jaime had put her in. "I've been pretty busy." She said. With a sigh and after running her hand through her hair, Dimeria focused her mind on what she wanted to say in the first place. "I just wanted to inform you that I won't be the one to guard you during the festivities tomorrow. Ser Jaime and I will be close though, surveying the area and whatnot."

Tommen's face seemed to drop in slight disappointment, but he said nothing of it.

"You and your family will be well protected. There's no need to worry." Dimeria assured him.

"No, it's not that." Tommen said.

Dimeria pursed her lips in vexation. Why was everybody she spoke to today getting upset with her? The pulsing beginnings of a headache began in her temple, drawing a sigh from her mouth. Thank the Gods the day was just about over.

"Well, I just wanted to let you know." She said to Tommen. "You should get some rest. Goodnight, Tommen."

"Goodnight, Dimeria." He replied, though his voice lacked the once previous mirth it possessed.

The urge to comfort the poor child flickered within Dimeria's chest, but she pushed it down. She didn't have the patience to babysit a depressed kid tonight; she just wanted to get back to her own chambers and get plenty of rest to ensure she was prepared for the great wedding that was to come.

Dimeria pushed the door open, relieved to finally be getting away from people, but the person who greeted her in the hallway sorely disappointed her.

"Lady Dimeria." Lord Varys greeted. "The Queen Regent wishes to have a word with you."

Had Dimeria's spirits fallen any further she would have been in one of the Seven Hells. "Fine." She muttered to The Spider. Resisting the urge to slam Tommen's door shut, she took a deep breath and began walking in step with Varys to Cersei's lavish chambers.

Once in a fairly secluded hallway, Dimeria thought it safe to speak freely with the eunuch. "Does the Queen actually need to speak with me, or did you just need an excuse?"

"For tonight, my lady, I am following the Queen's orders completely, though that does not mean I cannot turn her own requests into my opportunities" Varys said, hinting like he always did at a secret plan that was being woven in his mind.

The pounding in Dimeria's temple was increasing by the second. "And what opportunity will you be taking tonight?"

"My little birds tell me that you met Prince Oberyn this morning." Varys said.

"Unfortunately, yes." Dimeria grumbled.

"I wouldn't be so quick to judge, my lady. He is not the type of man you would want as an enemy."

"So I've been told."

They walked in silence for a while, the setting sun quickly giving way to luminous moonlight.

"The great wedding is tomorrow." Varys disrupted the quiet.

Dimeria's resolve was beginning to snap as her headache worsened. "Lord Varys, I believe it would be beneficial for the both of us if you would stop telling me things I already know." She hissed at him.

And much to her irritation, Varys did not seem fazed at all. "These are dangerous times, my lady, and we are in a very dangerous place." He turned to face her, stopping her from stepping closer to the doors of the Queen's room, which they had quickly approached. "One must be careful at these time, careful about their words and their...secrets."

Dimeria thought she was beginning to catch on. Was he talking about her dragons? "What are you talking about?" She questioned him.

"Nothing in particular, my lady. I am simply stating that should you get careless, there won't always be someone to fix your mess."

And with the second ominous warning Dimeria had received that day, Varys gestured towards Cersei's chamber doors and walked away, leaving Dimeria with a pounding heart and a fearful mind of the coming days.


	44. Chapter 45

_**A/N: The Wedding has arrived...**__**This chapter and the next will consist of several different points of views; I thought it might be interesting to write from other perspectives other than my OC.**_

_**A huge thanks to all the new followers and reviewers; Denpa-chu, ZabuzasGirl, ladyres, Misskymm, and Bella-swan11!**_

_**Special thanks to pattyclark792 for taking the time to review on almost every chapter...I loved being able to read what you thought throughout the story; and also to KlaraChlo! I was so excited that I was able to translate your review, but then I realized I'm nowhere near being able to reply back in French ;) But thank you so much for leaving an awesome message for me!**_

* * *

She was awake before the rays of the sun could come pouring through her window. Sleep did not find her that night, but she somehow didn't feel as exhausted as perhaps she should have. The bags under her eyes contradicted how she actually felt though, as did the new wrinkles that had begun to form on her sun-kissed skin.

Cersei would cease to be the Queen Regent after today; her son was to marry Margaery Tyrell...the wicked little bitch.

Cersei would of course remain in the Keep, forever by Joffrey's side, but little would that even matter once Margaery dug her claws in; something she had had little trouble doing ever since she had become betrothed to Joffrey.

The dirty haze of dawn was beginning to settle over all of King's Landing as Cersei sat at her window with a glass of wine in hand. She once would have thought that it was entirely too early to be drinking, but those days were long over. Ever since Ned Stark had become the Hand of the King and Jaime had been captured things had gone downhill. Nothing ever seemed to go her way anymore; Myrcella was currently in Dorne, Jaime had come back with some bastard whore, and to top it all off she was supposed to marry Loras Tyrell.

What happened to the fabulous life of a Queen she had looked forward to as a child? Where had it all gone? Perhaps that's where her life took the wrong turn, when she married that pig of a king Robert.

Cersei drained her glass of wine quickly, pondering over her miserable life. Suddenly, a feral smirk crept onto her face. Perhaps her life would soon become Margaery's after she married today. No longer would the radiant High Garden beauty be so chipper and mesmerizing after becoming Queen Regent; her life would take an abrupt turn into a roiling thunderstorm of despair. The only thing that may bring her comfort would be the joy of children, which was Cersei's only joy these days; and perhaps her brother would be a comfort to her, also. Although if Cersei had to predict how that relationship would go based on her sibling bond with Jaime, she didn't hold much faith in it.

A content gloat settled on Cersei's face. Yes, Margaery's life would certainly turn to hell after today. And with that slightly encouraging though, the soon-to-be former Queen Regent put down her glass of wine and prepared to take on the day.

…

One event at a time, Jaime told himself. The day of the wedding had finally come and the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard was already fed up with festivities. He had never concerned himself with such petty ceremonies, not even when he thought he was in love with his sister. And even with that over, Jaime hadn't even given the idea of marrying Dimeria a second thought, which was probably a good thing since Dimeria obviously didn't have any interest in a marriage.

Jaime shook his frustrations with Dimeria away from his mind; he didn't have time to ponder over their issues today. With a sigh, Jaime secured his flowing white cloak to his shoulders and placed his sword at his hip. He was supposed to protect the King today and with the memories of his past failures of protecting the kings behind him; Jaime was determined to do his job perfectly today.

…

Dimeria hadn't necessarily been looking forward to Joffrey and Margaery's wedding in the first place and the outfit Cersei had made for her only made things worse. Gods, she was so uncomfortable. When the Queen had requested Dimeria's presence the night before, Dimeria was expecting some sort of threat saying that if she didn't do a good enough protecting her children she would be killed, but what Dimeria actually received was worse in her mind.

"You don't really think I'll allow you to wear your normal clothes to such a grand ceremony?" Cersei had said distastefully. And with that insult, Cersei presented Dimeria with a new dress; one that apparently met her expectations of what was appropriate for a female guard that was attending a royal wedding.

It was the same color scheme as what the normal Kingsguard members wore since she was technically meant to be one of them. It was a white gown, though it looked more cream to Dimeria. It had gold trimming around the edges, with the sleeves coming just past her elbows, which annoyed Dimeria even more. The dress flowed all the way to her feet, though didn't drag on the ground, and had a fairly tight bodice to accentuate her curves. The last touch, which Cersei apparently had made to make her look more like a guard, was a golden core plate that hooked over the back of her shoulders and around her back. It covered her breasts all the way down to her waist, much like the chest plates belonging to the men did.

In all honesty, Dimeria looked like beautifully fierce warrior, though that's not what she was concerned about. She didn't care if she looked nice; she only cared if she could move well enough to fight and protect herself along with others, which in this dress: she could not.

Dimeria had no choice though, so before the pre-wedding breakfast that day, she had her handmaidens assist her in dressing. They braided her hair back like usual, though one of the girls had insisted on tying a gold ribbon in her hair.

"To make you look more feminine, m'lady." The girl had said, which Dimeria took offense to immediately; it's not as if she looked like a man!

And so an hour before the breakfast, Dimeria came strolling into the gardens as she shifted the skirt around her hips back and forth in discomfort. How could anyone be expected to fight in such a horrid thing? She entered with a scowl on her face; though most people that saw her believed that was her normal visage even if she wasn't angry...they technically weren't wrong.

Little did Dimeria know that she was attracting many stares her way, many of them gazing long enough to get a good view of her backside. She walked straight up to Jaime, who was already present, still shifting her dress to a more suitable position. Once again, she was completely unaware as to how Jaime was looking at her until she finally gave up on her gown to look up at him.

"What?" She snapped at him.

"Where did you get that dress?" Jaime asked, nearly stupefied.

"Your sister." Dimeria grumbled. "She demanded that I look appropriate for the wedding today."

"Trust me, you look absolutely perfect for a wedding." Jaime said, still blinking his eyes quickly to make sure that was he was seeing was real.

Dimeria quirked an eyebrow up at him at his strange comment; was he suddenly done with the sour mood he had acquired the day before? She shook her head. "I suppose that's what she wanted."

After a pause, Jaime spoke. "The breakfast will start in about an hour, and then people will begin presenting their gifts."

"How exciting…" Dimeria sighed. It was going to be a very long day.

…

She never asked for any of it; all she wanted was to marry her perfect prince, make plenty of pretty baby boys and girls, and live a happily ever after as princess and then queen. Gods, how did everything go so wrong?

Sansa felt like she was in a never ending nightmare; she would fall asleep to enter into a terror-crazed dreamscape, but instead of waking up and ending the horror, she would wake up only to realize that her life had turned into the real nightmare. It seemed that her dreams were starting to become much more preferable to reality.

When Margaery Tyrell had come into King's Landing and suddenly proclaimed that she wished to be wed to Joffrey, Sansa thought she had escaped, that perhaps she would be able to go home.

How wrong she was.

She was stupid. Gods, why did it take her so long to realize it? For her whole life Arya had constantly called her stupid for believing wholeheartedly in the silly childhood fantasies, but Sansa had ignored her. And now she was stuck in King's Landing, married to a dwarf, and was still living with the threat of Joffrey torturing her hanging over her head. Not to mention that she was the last Stark; her parents were dead, Arya probably died not long after she went missing from the capital, Theon murdered Bran and Rickon, and then Robb was betrayed by his own men.

Was it wrong to say that she wished she could join them?

"M'lady you've hardly touched your food." Shae said with her thick foreign accent.

Sansa looked up at her with heavy eyelids. "I'm not hungry." She mumbled.

When Shae pushed a goblet of wine her way, she only stared at it with a hazy focus. A sigh escaped her mouth; would there ever come a day where she would be happy again? She glanced over at Joffrey for the first time that morning as Tyrion placed a large book in front of him. Well, at least it wasn't her marrying Joffrey; it was the first comforting thought Sansa had for quite some time.

"A book?" Joffrey's snide voice drifted to her ears.

"The Lives of Four Kings." Tyrion explained. "A book every king should read."

An awkward silence filled the morning air; Sansa could practically sense the rude and sarcastic comment that was about to come out of Joffrey's mouth. She may not have spent that much time with him, but it didn't take a genius to realize how much of a prick he was.

But, Joffrey surprised her. "Now that the war is won, we should all find time for wisdom. Thank you, Uncle."

Sansa furrowed her brows. What the hell was that? Her husband shared the same look as she did as he walked over to his seat next to her, though they said nothing of their confusion to each other.

Looking back down at her plate, Sansa went back to silently moping, though she still pondered Joffrey's out of character reaction to Tyrion's gift. There was no way he was ever going to read that book, why would he pretend to be grateful for it?

It was then that another gift was placed in front of Joffrey. "One of only two Valyrian steel swords in the capital, Your Grace, freshly forged in your honor." Tywin Lannister said, as his gift was presented to his grandson.

Sansa resisted glaring at Joffrey as he excitedly scampered to the other side of the dining table to get a better look at his new sword. She heard Maester Pycelle warn him of how sharp Valyrian steel was and suddenly found herself wishing Joffrey would cut himself with it.

Then suddenly, Joffrey began whacking at the incredibly thick book from Tyrion with his sword; shredding the papers and sending them flying like falling leaves. There was the reaction Sansa had been expecting earlier. She glanced at her husband and saw the irritation on his scarred face, though she had a feeling Tyrion had expected nothing less from Joffrey.

Turning to face the crowd, Joffrey then requested ideas of names for his new sword. "Such a great sword should have a name. What shall I call her?"

Several people began throwing out names just to please their king. Sansa thought them to be ridiculous, but then again, she had at one time been exactly like them; what an embarrassing and foolish girl she had been.

"Widow's Wail!" Someone shouted out.

"Widow's Wail, I like that." Joffrey commended. "Every time I use it it'll be like cutting off Ned Stark's head all over again."

A chuckle went around the crowd, though Sansa felt like her heart had just been stabbed. Once again, she found herself wishing she could be like her family; in the ground…

Dead.

…

Today was the day; today she would become Queen. From a young age, Margaery had been taught by her grandmother how to behave in front of everyone. She knew how to be a perfect young lady that always wore a smile on her face even though the happy facade was never genuine. But today, that smile was truer than it ever had been before.

She didn't care for love; love didn't exist, so as Margaery walked down the aisle with her father and looked upon the man (well...boy, actually) she was going to marry, she felt no flutters of excitement. In fact, if she hadn't been so thrilled at the thought of finally becoming Queen Regent, she probably would've felt disgusted at the thought of having to marry Joffrey.

"Let it be known that Margaery of the House Tyrell, and Joffrey of the Houses Lannister and Baratheon are one heart, one flesh, and one soul. Cursed be he who would seek to tear them asunder." The High Priest spoke.

Margaery felt her smile grow even wider; her cheeks probably should have ached from how much she was grinning, but they didn't...even if they had, she wouldn't have cared.

"With this kiss, I pledge my love." Joffrey said.

They both leaned in for the kiss, neither of them finding any sort of pleasure from it, but both of them reveling in the power they now shared. Margaery turned with her teeth bared to the crowd, basking in the glory of their applause. This marriage was not for love, it was hardly a proper marriage; it was simply societal ritual to make everything official: Margaery of House Tyrell was now Margaery of House Lannister; Queen Regent of the Seven Kingdoms.

…

Dimeria stood next to Jaime during the wedding ceremony, trying to keep the bored expression from appearing on her face, though she had a feeling she wasn't succeeding. When Joffrey and Margaery shared their kiss, Dimeria felt a twinge of disgust spark in her stomach.

_Poor girl…_ Dimeria thought to herself. _She must feel like she's kissing a horse's ass…_

"You could at least try to keep that sneer off your face." Dimeria looked away from the new King and Queen to see Jaime scolding her.

"Sorry…" She muttered; it was clear that Jaime was still annoyed with her, though she didn't completely understand why. A deep sigh came from her mouth. "At least the hard part is over." She said to him.

Jaime snorted. "The feast will be a lot more difficult to observe, and Gods know what else Joffrey has planned to torture his subjects."

Dimeria's mind immediately went to Sansa. It astounded Dimeria how well the Stark girl controlled herself, but then again, maybe she didn't even have to try; Joffrey probably already broke her fighting spirit. A shudder ran through Dimeria's body; the feeling of losing hope was not lost on Dimeria, and it still frightened her to think that she was exactly like Sansa at one point: completely lost and afraid.

An announcement was made for everyone to make their way to the Royal Feast and as soon as the sea of people began making their way out of the Sept of Baelor, Jaime and Dimeria turned to go to the gardens together. Jaime spoke nothing Dimeria, which irritated her greatly.

"So, I see that you're still upset with me." She said. Jaime didn't respond and tried to lengthen his steps to walk ahead. "Would you mind actually telling me why, or is that too difficult for you?" Dimeria snapped at him, finally getting him to turn around.

"This is not the time or place for this." He said sternly.

"Fine." Dimeria said through gritted teeth. She pushed her way past him, clenching and unclenching her fists in an effort to release some tension. Somewhere in her mind Dimeria knew it was wrong to wish for it, but she found herself wanting someone attack the King today…

She really needed to just swing a sword at someone today.

…

It was a feast; one would have thought that everybody should have been in a jovial mood, but that was not true for Tyrion. He was on edge. Sending Shae away was one of the hardest things he had ever had to do, but it was necessary. He definitely preferred having Shae living millions of miles away instead of having her dead in King's Landing. If it was for the best, why did he feel so awful?

"Go drink until if feels like you did the right thing." Bronn told him before walking away.

Tyrion snorted in response; if he were to do that, he would need every ounce of wine at this feast and then more from Dorne. Ignoring the hole in his gut, Tyrion set his mind on making it to the table with Sansa. He still at least needed to keep up appearances.

"Tyrion!" A voice called to him. Tyrion turned to see his brother making his way through the many tents to his side.

"Brother…" Tyrion said trying to put cheer into his voice. "Shouldn't you be guarding someone?" They both started walking to the royal table, though Jaime didn't seem to have very much focus on what was really going on.

"Have you seen Dimeria?" Jaime asked.

"No, I have not. Why?" Tyrion asked. When he received no answer, he looked up at his brother to find out what was wrong and got all the information he needed from the grimace on Jaime's face. "Are you two fighting again?" A huff erupted from Jaime's nostrils. "Didn't I just help end the last fight you were in?"

"It's complicated." Jaime grumbled.

Tyrion shook his head. "How can it be complicated? Dimeria is one of the most straightforward people I know."

"Well then explain to me why she wouldn't be the least bit concerned if I were to be surrounded by other women?" Jaime snapped at Tyrion.

Tyrion scoffed at the sudden realization of why Jaime was upset. "Did Lady Dimeria wound your pride, dear brother?" He teased, earning a emerald glare from Jaime. "Let me explain this to you: Dimeria trusts you. Why would she need to worry about you being with another woman?"

Music and laughter drifted into the brothers' ears, signaling that they had reached the royal table. Colorful plates of food decorated the many tables and goblets of wine sloshed merrily to the rims, but not even this happy scene could cheer either of the Lannister brothers.

"If you wish to speak with her, Jaime, she's over there..." Tyrion said as he pointed in Dimeria's direction. "Talking to Prince Oberyn it looks like."

Tyrion heard a growl from his brother. "Wonderful…" He breathed under his breath.

Before Jaime could walk away from him, Tyrion said, "Jealousy is not a pretty color on you, brother."

They departed from each other then; Jaime headed for Dimeria and Tyrion making his way up to the royal table. When did weddings become such a horrid affair?

…

Hundreds, nearly thousands of people all joined to celebrate him; Joffrey, King of the Seven Kingdoms. An arrogant sneer crept onto his face. Yes, this day was all about him! A slight creak to his right reminded him of someone else's presence. Oh right, this was Margaery's day too…

He smirked at the back of her head as she leant forward to closer observe the performers who were playing The Reins of Castamere. He glanced around looking for a head of fire; she shouldn't be too far away. Ah, there she was...little Sansa Stark. Joffrey peered at her with a disapproving glare; thank the Gods it's not her that married him today!

It wasn't until Lady Olenna Tyrell moved up to greet Sansa that Joffrey finally looked away. He still didn't understand why the Tyrell's expressed so much interest in Sansa; she was a pathetic little twit with obnoxiously red hair. The only reason the Lannisters were keeping her around was for political reasons...Sansa was apparently the key to the North now.

Joffrey scoffed; he may as well take the North the day after his wedding. It's not like he would meet any resistance. Surveying the gardens once more, Joffrey saw his new wife gazing intently at the musicians who were still droning on and on with that Castamere song. What a dull tune to play at a King's feast!

"Yes, yes, good job!" Joffrey stood up from his chair, shouting as he threw several gold coins at them. He saw his wife sit back in what looked surprise and disappointment, though he ignored it choosing to enjoy the musicians scrambling like rats to pick up their gold coins.

Gods, he loved having such control; he relished. Once the last musician made their way off the floor, Joffrey felt much more empowered.

Yes, now the real fun could start.

* * *

**I know, everything was mostly plot build-up, but hopefully you all weren't too bored. I'm going to put up the next half of the wedding within the next couple of days so you won't have to wait too long and trust me, things will pick up a little more next chapter.**

**Remember to review and let please let me know what you thought of the different character point of views; I'd love to know!**

**Until next time...**


	45. Chapter 46

_**A/N: See, I told you I wouldn't make you wait too long for the second half of the wedding ;) I'm so glad to see that most of you enjoyed the different points of view in the last chapter...that will be continuing in this one.**_

_**Thank you to all of my reviewers: ladyres, ZabuzasGirl, Misskymm, Aranel Silvertongue, Guest, and KlaraChlo!**_

_**ZabuzasGirl: Lucky for you, this chapter picks up with the conversation between Oberyn and Dimeria ;)**_

_**KlaraChlo: I'm actually still a high school student...I'm in the U.S. When I say that I'm in French 3, I just mean that I've been taking French for 3 years basically. Since there are 4 years in high school, I've been taking it for 3 years so far and I plan on taking it for a 4th year :) And no, I've never really thought about translating my chapters :)**_

* * *

"Lady Dimeria, how lovely it is to see you again."

A thickly accented voice drew Dimeria's attention causing both a shiver of dread and anticipation to run through her body. Why was it she was so intrigued by Oberyn? Was it his foreign accent, his over exuding confidence, or his skill with a blade? Whatever it was, perhaps Jaime was right to be slightly jealous that Oberyn displayed such an interest in her.

"Prince Oberyn, Lady Ellaria…" Dimeria greeted them.

A snicker escaped Ellaria's lips, confusing Dimeria as they came closer to her. "I am not a lady...I am a bastard."

_So am I, but everyone still calls me a Lady…_ Dimeria thought to herself, though she kept it to herself.

"Are you enjoying yourselves?" Dimeria asked nervously. If she had been born with feathers, she was sure they would be sufficiently ruffled by this point.

Oberyn took a step even closer, gazing around the area before letting his eyes land on Dimeria once more. Three more feathers stood to attention as Dimeria watched him.

"I'm sorry that we got off on a rather...ungraceful foot the last time we saw each other." Oberyn said.

Dimeria gulped down the lump that had formed in her throat. "I guess that would partly be my fault." She admitted. "I'm not really accustomed to brothels like...you two seem to be."

"All it takes is a little time, my dear." Ellaria said with a seductive drawl. Long nails and slender fingers trailed down Dimeria's arm, bristling several more feathers as she reached Dimeria's stiff wrist.

Pulling her arm away, Dimeria suddenly found it impossible to make eye contact with the two Dornish natives. "I'm sure…" She mumbled uncomfortably. Were they flirting with her again? Did they not understand that she didn't want anything to do with their sex?!

"Do you see that girl over there?" Oberyn asked, turning Dimeria's gaze to her right. Following in the given direction, Dimeria saw an impossibly flexible girl in perhaps the most precarious position that she could have ever imagined, but then again, it's not as if she actually spent time imagining those kinds of things. "Her ability to move into so many different positions makes the pleasure much easier to access."

Dimeria imagined every invisible feather on her body standing straight up in defense, though it seemed that Oberyn and Ellaria cared nothing for her boundaries.

"Perhaps you'd like to discover that pleasure with Ellaria and I." Oberyn suggested with a husky voice.

"I'm afraid she'll have to decline to that offer."

The three of them then turned to see Jaime intruding in on the conversation. Suddenly, out of fear and embarrassment, Dimeria's feathers fell flat to the ground.

…

"Ser Jaime Lannister."

Jaime resisted the urge to glare at the Dornish man. He didn't like anything about him; his golden skin, his mischievous eyes, and he especially hated his drawling accent.

"Prince Oberyn." He returned the cold greeting.

"Ellaria, this is Lord Tywin's eldest son, Jaime Lannister." Oberyn said, never taking his eyes from Jaime's, much to the Lannister son's irritation. "Perhaps the most golden lion there is in King's Landing."

A strong urge to smack the smug grin off of Oberyn's face erupted in Jaime's palm, but for the sake of appearance, he suppressed the impulse. Instead, he used that hand to grasp Ellaria's own palm in introduction, placing a swift kiss on her knuckles.

"My, you are just as handsome as the rumors say, Ser Jaime; if not more so." Ellaria said wistfully, though Jaime truly cared nothing for her words; he just wanted them to leave Dimeria alone.

His green eyes then looked down at Dimeria, who still looked rather mortified about Oberyn's previous offer. "You have my thanks, Lady Ellaria. Though I'm sure Prince Oberyn here wouldn't appreciate you saying that." Jaime remarked, once again piercing Oberyn with his emerald gaze.

A soft chuckle sounded from Ellaria. "My Prince knows my heart will always belong with him." Her hand entered Jaime's field of vision as he and Oberyn continued their staredown; she stroked it down Oberyn's arm, perhaps in an effort to calm him, though it did nothing to that effect from what Jaime could tell.

"Perhaps he should return that favor...and actually try to keep it that way." Jaime left the unspoken threat to hang in the air; he knew Oberyn would understand what he was trying to say.

A sparkle of amusement shined within Oberyn's eyes, once again encouraging Jaime to punch him. His hand was beginning to ache from the clenched fist he hadn't even realized he had formed.

"That's enough."

Jerking both the men from their extreme battle of the eyes, Dimeria stepped in between them. Jaime risked putting his hand on Dimeria's shoulder, but only drew a gaze of malice from her deep blue eyes; she clearly wanted nothing to do with either Oberyn, or himself. He withdrew his hand and gave her an apologetic look.

A cruel snicker from Oberyn shattered Jaime's calm demeanor that tended to take place when he was with Dimeria.

"Is that all it takes to keep you sated these days, Ser Jaime? Perhaps you are not as fierce as the stories would have us all believe." Oberyn chided.

Jaime narrowed his eyes, anger showing in the depths of his irises. "Would you like to test that theory?" He hissed.

Before Oberyn could say anything back though, Joffrey's whining voice rang through the crowd. "Everyone! The Queen would like to say a few words!"

Margaery's whimsical voice then took over; making an announcement that Jaime didn't really even care about.

"I suggest we all part ways." He heard Dimeria mumble to them.

"I agree." Ellaria said.

The two Dornish natives walked away then, Oberyn still clearly fuming from the argument that almost happened. With one last indecipherable look from Dimeria, Jaime was left alone next to one of the wine tables. Gods, he couldn't wait for this wedding to be over; the sooner it ended, the sooner Prince Oberyn would be gone.

…

Had it been any normal day, Cersei would have had the urge to poison that little bitch Margaery after her ridiculous announcement about the food going to the poor. But today, Cersei actually found herself clapping like the rest of the joyous people in attendance. For the first time in several years, she actually felt happy; happy for Joffrey and the power he possessed. He deserved it; her precious little boy deserved everything in the world and the fact that he was finally getting it all overjoyed Cersei.

Nothing could dispel her mood today; it was just about as unbreakable as the Wall itself. Everything seemed to just pass her by. Things that normally would have outraged her just didn't seem important; Margaery's constant smirk, Jaime mooning over Dimeria, not even Tyrion seemed as much of a nuisance. And the things that did annoy her, well...she didn't have any problem taking care of them.

It was strange being this jovial; it wasn't something Cersei was used to feeling. It made being powerful seem so much more...fun.

"No, no, come to my chambers and I will examine you personally." Pycelle's horrid old voice flitted to and fro in Cersei's ears.

Gods, what a treacherous leach. Feeling the familiar prickle of irritation, Cersei squared her shoulders and decided to do away with the pest that was Pycelle. It would be even more icing on an already delicious cake.

"She'll do no such thing." Cersei said, interrupting Pycelle's persuasion of the young handmaiden.

"Your Grace, this young lady sought my advice-"

"You should see Qyburn." Cersei ignored Pycelle. "He's quite good."

"Yes, Your Grace." The handmaiden whispered before skittering away.

"Qyburn? A deplorable man." Pycelle scoffed. Cersei mentally groaned. How was this old cow still standing? He looked as if he had been alive to witness Aegon the Conqueror's reign. "Brought shame on the Citadel with his repugnant experiments."

It was Cersei's turn to scoff. "More repugnant than your gnarled fingers on that girl's thighs?" She nearly shivered from the thought. His fingers probably looked like rotten vegetables.

"Your Grace, I am a man of learning." The old maester disputed her comment.

"My little brother had you sent to the black cells when you annoyed him. What do you think I could do to you if you annoyed me?" Cersei threatened. The sliver of fear that appeared in Pycelle's eyes sent a thrilling rush of adrenaline through Cersei's body. She could imagine that glimmer of power that sparkled in her eyes.

"I never meant to annoy anyone." Pycelle droned.

"But you are." Cersei enunciated each word; her hands nearly trembled with how much she wanted to just strangle this man. "You annoy me right now. Every breath you draw in my presence annoys me." The surprise in Pycelle's eyes only enhanced Cersei's adrenaline rush.

"So here's what I want you to do. I want you to leave my presence; leave this wedding right now. Go to the kitchens and instruct them that all the leftovers from the feast will be brought to the kennels." Cersei instructed.

"You Grace, the Queen Margaery-"

"The _Queen_ is telling you the leftovers will feed the dogs, or you will." Cersei growled fiercely. Without another word, Pycelle left her presence. A smug smirk adorned her usually frowning face, broadening into a grin as she watched Joffrey embarrass his personal Fool. Ah yes, today was just a wonderful day.

…

The amount of times Tyrion had to tell himself to take a deep breath to calm down was ridiculous. He just wanted to go back to his quarters, drink himself to sleep, and shut his mind off from the constant darkness that reality seemed to shroud him in. Sansa seemed to be of the same mindset, though she didn't resort to drinking like Tyrion often did.

Who did he feel worse for, himself or Sansa? He, once again, felt as if his heart had been ripped out with the woman he loved being sent away, but at least Shae was still alive; Sansa was completely alone. Over and over he had tried to comfort her, but she refused. Tyrion didn't blame her though; he was a Lannister and she had absolutely no reason to ever trust him after what Joffrey put her through.

Glancing over at his nephew, Tyrion allowed himself to feel a slight pinch of hope that Joffrey would no longer have Sansa within his torturous sights after marrying Margaery. If anyone were to keep him distracted it was that girl; her grandmother ensured that she would make a proper queen and even Tyrion had to admit: she definitely fit the bill.

And perhaps Tyrion would take Lady Olenna up on her offer to allow Sansa to visit Highgarden. He held no true feelings for the Stark girl except pity, which apparently was enough to drive him to do what he could to cheer her up. Yes, sending Sansa to Highgarden would help her feel better and would hopefully relieve some of the guilt Tyrion felt about not fulfilling his duties as a husband.

With that not necessarily good, but content note, Tyrion drained the last of his wine and tried to make himself relax. This was a wedding after all and he a right to enjoy himself, right?

"Everyone, silence!" Joffrey's voice pulled Tyrion from the bed of his inner musings. "Clear the floor." He demanded of everyone.

Tyrion watched with bored interest as performers left the floor in front of the royal table and everyone began to take their seats.

"There's been too much amusement today." Joffrey said, which Tyrion nearly snorted at; if only there were something that made him smile. Unfortunately, there wasn't. "

"A royal wedding is not an amusement." The King continued. "A royal wedding is history. The time has come for all of us to contemplate our history."

_Gods, what is he getting at…? _Tyrion thought to himself.

"My lords, my ladies...I give you: King Joffrey, Renly, Stannis, Robb Stark, and Balon Greyjoy. The War of the Five Kings!" Joffrey shouted excitedly.

Suddenly, the mouth of large lion decoration burst open with a blast of streamers and confetti. Tyrion just about fell out of his seat. A reenactment of the War of the Five Kings…

With all of the kings played by dwarves.

…

Eyes weary from hours and hours of crying widened in disgust. For once, Sansa's eyes did not grow moist with salty tears, for they were too stunned to even comprehend what they were seeing. Dwarves pretending to be the high lords of the Seven Kingdoms, crassly portraying the fighting they went through; all of them running about like children playing a game of tag.

Renly Baratheon, portrayed as having his ass uncovered as a joke of his sexuality; Stannis Baratheon, purposely shown in a sexual position with the woman known as the Red Lady; and Sansa's brother, her dear brother Robb being mocked by these people by putting a fake wolf's head on. Had she been eating any of the food, she would've have thrown it all up by now.

Time was frozen for Sansa, her poor heart barely able to contain the ache it had been feeling for so long. The laughter of the crowd assaulted her senses, especially from Joffrey who was snickering like a hyena. As much as she wanted to, she could not look away; she couldn't stop herself from watching the dwarves pretend to joust, and then the dwarf playing her brother having his fake wolf head knocked off. It was all imprinted into her mind painfully like a thousand knives to her heart.

The laughter was the worst. Nothing else could be heard except for the roaring mirth of the audience who cared nothing for her feelings. She couldn't even hear Tyrion speaking to Podrick about giving the dwarves extra money for being forced to do the reenactment. The laughter rang in her head like singing voices in a cathedral, echoing eternally into the high corners and dark shadows of her mind.

…

Gods, how embarrassing! Did Margaery really just marry this horrible person? The Tyrell beauty never thought it possible, but she actually felt horrible having to sit at the table as Queen with her husband snickering and guffawing at her side. This was not her idea of a good joke.

Margaery didn't need to look to know that her brother had already stormed off after seeing his lover being made fun of. How was the crowd finding such joy in this? After taking one look at poor Sansa's morose face, Margaery felt her heart sink into the depths of her stomach.

She had no other choice but to sit through the horrid form of entertainment though, so with a heavier heart than she thought possible on her wedding day; Margaery took a deep breath and squared her shoulders, ready to take on whatever other cruel form of humor her new husband would produce.

…

Jaime was standing close to Dimeria when it all happened; when they lion's maw opened and released the dwarves of cruel embarrassment. Jaime wasn't a religious man, but he found himself thanking all the Gods that no one ever proved Joffrey was of his seed. How could he have produced that? That horrible child that was to sit on the throne would never live up to the expectations that Jaime would have wanted in a child.

Not taking his eyes from the horrible scene unfolding before him, Jaime crept closer to Dimeria and luckily made it just in time to grab her arm, stopping her from charging the table where Joffrey sat. Looking into her surprised gaze, for she apparently did not realize he was behind her, Jaime shook his head at her in warning. They would have to sit this one out whether they liked it or not.

His green eyes began scanning the crowd, deeming all those laughing at the reenactment as worthless pieces of shit. Jaime really had no room to judge them considering what he had done in his past, but he couldn't help it; this was low...even for the Kingslayer. Then, his orbs suddenly found his brother, his dear little brother. Jaime was the only one in his family that had ever cared for Tyrion, which only made the hurt look on his face even harder for Jaime to bear. Out of curiosity, he shifted his gaze to his sister and, much to his disappointment and rage, found her laughing along with her awful son. Should he have expected anything more from his cruel, twisted sister? No, of course not, but the look of pure joy on her face shamed Jaime to his very core. And for the first time in his life, Jaime almost felt ashamed to be a Lannister.

…

She was going to kill Joffrey. She was going to gouge his beady little eyes out with her bare hands and then shove them down his throat. After that, she would slice his rotten heart out of his chest and feed it to her dragons and once they were done eating, she would have her dragons roast his hideous body to ashes. It was an understatement to say that Dimeria was angry. She was fuming; she was filled with enough rage to tear down all the Seven hells and make it out alive to do the same thing to the Seven heavens.

Dimeria was about to give in to her murderous rampage when she felt a hand grasp her wrist. Jaime? When the hell did he get there? Had it been anyone else, she would've torn her arm from their grasp, punched them in the face for interfering, and then continued on with her homicidal path; but this was Jaime and even though she was angry with him, Dimeria listened to the warning within his green orbs telling her to that today was not the day to murder Joffrey. It was a shame really; it would have been all too easy.

After all, he was too busy choking on his own laughter to realize she was coming after him.

…

The scene before Tyrion was almost laughable. Had he really expected Joffrey to go his entire wedding day without being his usual sadistic self? Of course he hadn't. Placing a mask of indifference on his face, Tyrion sat back in his chair and waited for the other dwarves to finish. If he had to be honest, Tyrion felt as if the last few days had aged him greatly. He may have been the youngest sibling in his family, but he definitely did not feel it. The only person that may have had it worse was obviously Sansa; he could practically feel all of her emotions rolling off of her body in thick, depressing waves.

"Well fought, well fought!" Joffrey cheered as he stood up from his seat. "Here you are, a champion's purse!" He said, tossing a pouch of gold coins to the dwarf.

_Oh, how gracious…_ Tyrion thought snidely.

"Though, you're not a champion yet, are you? A true champion defeats all the challengers. Surely there are others out there who still challenge my reign?" A deafening silence fell over the previously cheering crowd as Joffrey questioned them. "Uncle." He said, calling Tyrion's attention over.

Tyrion stifled the glare that threatened to appear in his eyes. "How about you? I'm sure they have a spare costume." Joffrey teased.

Once more putting on an emotionless mask that he had seen his own brother wear so many times, Tyrion rose from his seat to respond to the King. "One taste of combat was enough for me, Your Grace. I would like to keep what remains of my face. I think you should fight him. This was but a poor imitation of your own bravery on the field of battle" Tyrion said, forcing the politeness to seep from his mouth, though he had a feeling that wouldn't be enough to save him.

"I speak as a firsthand witness." Tyrion continued. He knew that everyone could sense the mockery in his speech, but he still went on. "Climb down from the high table with your new Valyrian sword and show everyone how a true king wins the throne. Be careful, though." Tyrion lightly warned. "This one is clearly mad with lust. It would be a tragedy for a king to lose his virtue hours before his wedding night."

Oh, Tyrion knew he was pushing the boundaries and he got proof of it as Joffrey slowly strolled over to his seat and poured a goblet of wine over his head. A ripple of anxiety weaved in and out of the crowd Tyrion once again had to stow his harboring feelings of hatred.

"A fine vintage." He commented. "A shame that it spilled."

"It did not spill." Joffrey retorted, his childlike impudence showing clearly in his voice. It was quite easy for Tyrion to see that Joffrey's mission now was to make a fool of his own imp of an uncle.

"My love, come back to me." Margaery's singsong voice carried on the breeze. "It's time for my father's toast."

_Nice try, Lady Margaery…_ Tyrion mentally commended her. _It'll take much more to distract Joffrey, though…_

"Well, how does he expect me to toast without wine?" Joffrey remarked obnoxiously as he made his way back to Margaery. "Uncle, you can be my cupbearer seeing as you're too cowardly to fight." He called back to Tyrion.

"Your Grace does me a great honor." Tyrion said with a deep breath. He figured it was important to keep up his unperturbed facade, even though it seemed to be getting under Joffrey's skin.

"It's not meant as an honor. Bring me my goblet."

So with no more than a moment's hesitation, Tyrion begrudgingly got up from his seat and went to serve the King.

…

What a preposterous little monster! Lady Olenna was more than aware of his hideous personality; she had been sufficiently forewarned by Sansa Stark, but actually seeing him in action brought quite a bit of disgust to the matriarch of the Tyrell house. And to think that her poor granddaughter had married him! Deep down though, Olenna wasn't overly worried; Margaery would be okay in the end.

Olenna Tyrell watched on with pity for Tyrion as Joffrey forced him to serve him wine. It's not as if Lady Olenna held any affections for the dwarf, but for goodness sake! The imp went through enough torture just by having Tywin Lannister as his father. What a pompous bastard he was…

"Kneel. Kneel before your king." Joffrey's demanded, though it was clear Tyrion did not mean to heed his words.

Olenna shook her head; a true King should not have to command respect...it should just happen through his actions. She could nearly feel the tense cloud emanating from those in attendance; no doubt this situation would soon spiral out of control.

"Look, the pie!" At hearing her granddaughter's merry announcement, Olenna allowed herself a small smile. Yes, Margaery would make a fine queen once this whole debacle was dealt with.

…

Who knew pie could have saved such an awkward, tense situation? Dimeria breathed a sigh of relief as the audience once again broke into applause as the large pigeon pie was wheeled in. Jaime still had a tight grasp on her wrist, ensuring that her anger remained reigned in rather than being unleashed on Joffrey.

Dimeria barely held back the snort of contempt as Joffrey proudly slice into the pie, releasing several pigeons in a flurry of grey feathers. It was a pathetic use for the marvelous blade he now possessed. Dimeria suddenly pictured several better ways to put the sword to good use…chopping Joffrey's head off, for one.

"Wonderful, wonderful! My hero." She heard Margaery exclaim lovingly. Had Dimeria not been exposed to the more devious said of the Tyrell girl, she probably would've believed the convincing performance she put on for everyone.

"Uncle. Where are you going?" Joffrey said, turning towards Tyrion who was currently trying to leave the ceremony along with Sansa. "You're my cupbearer remember?"

Why couldn't Joffrey just give it a rest?! Tyrion was sufficiently embarrassed with the dwarf reenactment and now Joffrey just had to push it even further. Dimeria shook her head with vexation; had she been in Tyrion's position, she would've thrown that damn wine goblet at his face by now.

"I thought I might change out of these wet clothes, Your Grace." Tyrion replied.

"No, no, no, no…" Joffrey waved him off. "You're perfect just the way you are. Serve me my wine."

Dimeria saw that apologetic glance Tyrion sent to Sansa as he was once again forced to serve Joffrey. Perhaps she could escort the poor girl to her rooms; the Gods knew her day had been filled with pain for Joffrey's cruel amusement.

With the pie now being served, the crowd slowly began coming back to life with light conversation; most likely speaking about what Joffrey was doing to Tyrion. A cough from Joffrey passed through Dimeria's ears. Apparently the pie was dry; good, he didn't deserve to eat decent food.

"If it please Your Grace, lady Sansa is very tired." Tyrion desperately tried to get away from Joffrey.

"No. No, you'll wait here." Joffrey said as another round of coughs began. Dimeria furrowed her brows; apparently that pie was extremely dry.

Another round of hacking coughs ensued quickly after, causing even Jaime to release her wrist and step forward in confusion. Wet, garbled hacks erupted from Joffrey's throat that turned his face red in exhaustion.

"He's choking!" Margaery cried out frantically.

"Help the poor boy, idiots, help your King!" Her grandmother appeared at her side.

Jaime was gone from Dimeria's side in a flash. How could this be happening? A chorus of strangled breaths carried out throughout to the audience, all of them gasping in fear and confusion. Cersei, having little concern for who was in her way, rushed to Joffrey, barely cradling his body as his body-shaking coughs drove him to the ground. His hands clawed at his throat, desperate to somehow clear out whatever was keeping him from breathing.

Dimeria could hear the heartbroken whimpers of pain coming from Cersei when suddenly, a flurry of motion to the side caught her eye. Someone was taking Sansa away...but who? Where were they taking her? Her fighter's instincts kicked in; this was no coincidence. Without another thought, Dimeria took off after Sansa and whoever was leading her away. Part of her expected to be stopped, but Dimeria was hardly of anyone's concern; the real matter at hand distracted them all.

The King was dead.

* * *

_**Am I the only one feeling sadistic pleasure at the fact that Joffrey's dead? ;) Just kidding, I know you all are. So, I hope you enjoyed the last half of the wedding; I really enjoyed writing it.**_

_**Remember to leave reviews!**_

_**Until next time...**_


	46. Chapter 47

_**A/N: My goodness, I am so sorry for the ridiculously long wait; I've been absurdly busy with schoolwork lately, but hopefully that lightens up a bit within the next week or two. If not, I'll do my best to write as much as I can and keep the updates coming without super long delays :)**_

_**Despite my long delay, I'm lucky to have such awesome readers who followed and left reviews while I was gone! Big thanks to ladyres, ZabuzasGirl, Bella-swan11, Misskymm, Aranel Silvertongue, KlaraChlo, and R.E.W. 4! You all are super awesome and amazing for leaving reviews, as are the rest of my readers for being patient with my absence :)**_

* * *

Dimeria didn't have time to think about her decision; she just had to act. Why was Sansa running? Dimeria didn't believe that Sansa actually killed Joffrey; there was just no way! But what else could there be?

Quick feet skirted around cluttered tables and chairs and ran through leafy bushes until she once again had the fiery haired girl within her sights once more. This all had to be connected somehow...did Sansa have some sort of connection to who murdered Joffrey? Dimeria shook her head and kept sprinting onward; she didn't have to time ask questions, not when the person who had the answers was so far ahead.

The dress wasn't as hard to run in as Dimeria had originally thought, though it was uncomfortable. Her skirt and hair whipped around behind her like a cape as she started getting closer to Sansa. She could just make out a body leading Sansa around; who was it? A throaty growl escaped Dimeria's mouth. This was where years of training came in: when other people grew tired from exhaustion, Dimeria had to push herself further.

Dark alleys soon became their surroundings as they ran further and further away from the scene of the murder. No one was around, not even dirty street ruffians; whoever was guiding Sansa clearly knew where they were going.

"Sansa!" Dimeria called out when she was close enough to hear the girl's panting breaths.

The girl frantically spun her head around to see her pursuer, but her guide continued dragging her forward, turning left around another corner.

"Damn it…" Dimeria breathed out. "Sansa!"

Taking a sharp turn, Dimeria was welcomed by even more winding alleys and corridors. Her feet were aching, her lungs were burning, but she couldn't afford to stop; she had to get Sansa. She was close, Gods she was so close! Within a few steps really. With protest from her seemingly tearing muscles, Dimeria propelled herself onward until she could nearly reach out and grasp Sansa's arm. Dimeria flung her hand out. Sansa's arm was just within her grasp…

…

How could this have happened? Her firstborn son, lifeless and cold in her arms.

"My son." Cersei whispered through sorrowful tears.

This wasn't right; this had to be some cruel joke. Oh, how she desperately wanted to just wake up at any moment from this harrowing nightmare. She clenched her eyes shut.

Nothing. No...no! This was all wrong! Why wasn't she waking up?! Anger began bubbling within the depths of her cold, broken heart. Why? Why had the Gods chosen her to be tortured? Why. Her. He was murdered; someone murdered her darling son.

Tyrion. It had to be that treacherous little imp. How many times had he threatened to kill Joffrey? It couldn't have been anyone else.

"He did this." Cersei growled up to Tyrion who was still standing up by the table. "He poisoned my son, your King! Take him!" She screamed. "Take him! Take him!"

This wasn't a nightmare; she couldn't just close her eyes and wake up in bed. This was all real...and someone had to take responsibility for suddenly dumping a potful of hell on her life. Cersei had to get revenge...she would have her vengeance.

…

The bells tolled dismally, signaling the death of the King. Was the wedding that Robb Stark died at like this? Surely not, Robb Stark was loved and respected; Joffrey was hated and feared. While Cersei mourned the death of her child, it was obvious that most people rejoiced in his parting.

Tyrion was taken into custody, Joffrey's body was carried to the Sept of Baelor, and the Royal party was ushered back into the Keep with a cloud of foreboding hovering above them. Suspicious eyes flitted back and forth to every corner. Someone murdered the King; they all knew it, they just didn't know **who** did it.

The Red Keep was strangely quiet; who would dare kill a Lannister? Was it truly Tyrion? Those with better sense knew that it could not be; Tyrion and Joffrey hated each other, yes, but Tyrion just didn't have murder within his heart like others believed he did. Or perhaps he had an accomplice; after all, Sansa Stark did flood the scene right away. Did the Stark girl finally snap and decide to exact revenge on her tormentor at his own wedding? It would seem fitting since that's what they did to her brother...the odds were certainly not in Tyrion or Sansa's favor, though Tyrion was getting it worse since he was one currently sitting in a cell.

The night slowly but surely closed in, bringing even more anxiety to those within the Keep. Would the killer strike again? Was Sansa going to break her husband out of the dungeons and kill someone else? Doors were tightly shut and curtains were drawn to block out the warm, yet still chilling breeze of the night air.

Jaime could still not even begin to grasp the day's events. Everything happened so quickly; the royal breakfast that morning felt like it had happened a million years ago! Mere hours ago Joffrey was torturing Tyrion and Sansa, and now he was lying dead on a slab. It didn't even feel real in Jaime's head. Everything was just a blur. Was he sad? It was his son that just died that afternoon...Or was he joyful like the rest of King's Landing was? Joffrey had always been a little prick. Jaime simply could not make out any of his emotions; he felt...numb. He knew that the wedding was going to be hectic, but he never expected Joffrey to actually die.

No, Jaime could not decipher what it was he was feeling, but something certainly felt...off. It was as if something on his shelf was moved, but he couldn't remember where, or what he had misplaced. Not able to shake this feeling of disarray, Jaime settled down in his chambers for the night. Gods, what a rollercoaster his life had been lately! Lying down on his bed, Jaime rested his head upon his hands and stared up at his cold, dark ceiling. He had a strong feeling that many other people would be doing the same thing. No doubt Cersei would be staying up all night, promising herself that she would get revenge on Tyrion since she believed he was the one to kill Joffrey.

A strange emotion stirred within Jaime as he thought about it. The tears Cersei had cried that day, her wails of pain and anger; she was so...vulnerable. It had been years since Jaime had ever seen her in such a state. As he watched his twin hold their son in her arms that afternoon, Jaime almost had the urge to comfort her. Was it pity he felt for Cersei? Surely not, Jaime lost any feelings other than disgust and hatred for his sister the day he realized his true feelings for Dimeria, but then again, he and Dimeria weren't exactly on the best of terms at the moment anyway.

Jaime rolled over on his side as a whole other wave of confusing emotions concerning Dimeria washed over him. They had hardly seen each other all day. He hadn't even seen her reaction towards Joffrey's death; Jaime wondered how she felt about it-probably pretty happy. A sigh that quickly turned into a yawn erupted from his lungs. What was Dimeria doing right now? He had no idea, but Jaime imagined her sleeping like a baby now that such a horrible person like Joffrey was dead. His imagination began warping into darkness as sleep overtook him, but even in the seconds before peaceful bliss, Jaime could still not shake the feeling that something was amiss.

…

Morning still brought Jaime no reprieve. Gods, what was wrong?! Something had settled in the back of his mind and like an itch he couldn't reach, Jaime just couldn't decipher what it was that was throwing him off. The training yard. That's what he needed: a good, tiring session of whacking and hacking. He moved throughout the halls of the Keep quietly, feeling as if any sound would disturb the eerie silence. No one was in castle; no handmaidens were shyly scurrying from corner to corner, no squires were busily running errands for their lords, and no guards were cautiously observing. It seemed as if no one saw the necessity to go about their daily tasks, or they were just too scared.

Training brought some relief, but only in the form of exhaustion, making him too tired to worry about what was amiss in his life. There were only three men in the training yard with Jaime and when he quickly defeated them in sparring the first time, he forced them all to go another four times until he himself felt his energy wilting. It was about midday by the time he entered back into the halls of the Keep, and only a few more people had woken from their stunned slumbers.

Jaime ran a hand through his slightly damp hair. As much as he wanted to just go back to his chambers and do nothing, he had plenty to attend to today. First and foremost was ensuring that the castle was safe; second was figuring out who poisoned Joffrey, though most people believed that job had already been taken care of since Tyrion was now imprisoned. A twitch of guilt pricked at Jaime's mind; he hadn't even visited Tyrion yet. Should he go see him though? Jaime wanted to believe that Tyrion hadn't done it, but the longer her pondered the situation, it became more plausible. There were times when Jaime pictured running Joffrey through with a sword and that was just from hearing the boy's voice. Tyrion on the other hand, had to suffer endlessly through Joffrey's torments. Surely he had had enough by now…

Jaime shook his head; no, Tyrion didn't do it. Tyrion didn't do it! This was just doubt creeping into his mind along with the annoying sense that something was off in his life. He had to have faith in Tyrion and trust that he didn't kill Joffrey. With determination, Jaime began gathering up several guards to patrol the castle and make sure nothing seemed out of place. Once again, he felt as if something was missing as he spoke with the soldiers, but he quickly dismissed it; he had more important things to worry about. He then told the guards at the gate to check every person that looked suspicious. Jaime knew that if they hadn't found the killer already, they probably wouldn't find them anytime soon, but he wasn't going to take any chances.

Once this was taken care of, Jaime went to Pycelle who was still cleaning and caring for Joffrey's body for when it would later be put on display for the Lannister family. He expected to find his sister present when he walked into the chambers, but was surprised to only see Pycelle and a few of the Silent Sisters.

"Ser Jaime." Pycelle greeted breathily.

"Pycelle." Jaime nodded back. His green eyes were inevitably drawn to Joffrey's body, lifeless and pale on Pycelle's examining table. An odd stirring swirled in his stomach, for Jaime truly didn't know what to feel about seeing Joffrey dead like that. He decided not to think on it and turned back to the matter at hand. "Do you what it was that killed him?" He asked Pycelle.

"It appears to have been a very strong poison." Pycelle said as if he had made some great discovery.

"I gathered that much." Jaime said dryly. "Do you have any idea what kind?"

"No, my Lord, I do not. Though I believe I am on the right track. His symptoms when he died could give me a good idea of which poison it was."

"Good. Hopefully knowing what poison was used will give us a better idea of who murdered Joffrey." Jaime said. He turned to walk out, but was stopped by Pycelle's cringe worthy voice.

"Lord Tyrion is already in custody, is he not Ser Jaime?" He asked.

"He is." Jaime said through clenched teeth.

"Then why-" Pycelle began to ask, but Jaime cut him off.

"It is not decided whether he is the killer or not until he has had a fair trial; as it is with all crimes." Jaime said dangerously. He would not have anyone condemn Tyrion until he had a trial.

"My apologies, Ser Jaime…"

"I don't want your apologies." Jaime snapped at Pycelle. And without another word, he walked out of the room and began stomping through the hallways.

Gods he was so confused! How was he supposed to feel about this whole situation? Joffrey, his son, was just murdered; yet he felt no remorse or even anger about his death. That wasn't his fault of course, Cersei had never let him anywhere near the children; not even to treat them as a normal uncle would.

And Tyrion, his own little brother was being accused of the murder. It was slowly beginning to sink into Jaime's mind that even if he didn't believe Tyrion killed him, it wouldn't even matter; he was just one man. He still had hopes, irrational though they were, for a fair trial. Surely there were more people who had faith in Tyrion.

Jaime wandered through the halls aimlessly, slowly but surely drowning in his thoughts. And to think that he was dealing with this as the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard; he couldn't imagine how much worse it would be if he were actually a member of court or of the small council. He had never held any interest in politics and for good reason; it was aging him quicker than he desired.

The halls were still fairly empty and it wasn't until he reached two wooden doors that he noticed something was wrong. This was Prince Tommen's room. Why wasn't anyone guarding his door? Jaime searched back in his mind. This was usually Dimeria's job, to protect Prince Tommen and accompany him if he needed to go somewhere. With the murder of Joffrey the day before, Dimeria definitely should have been there...perhaps with another guard just in case.

Jaime pushed open the doors. "Tommen?" He called out carefully.

"Uncle Jaime?" Tommen answered.

"Are you okay? Is everything alright?" Jaime asked, comforted in the fact Tommen was in the room and seemingly unscathed.

"Yes." Tommen said with confusion until fear suddenly widened his eyes. "Why? Has something happened?"

"No, nothing to worry about. Everything's fine." Jaime reassured him. Tommen visibly relaxed and let out a sigh. Jaime furrowed his brows as he suddenly remembered that this would be the new king. Tommen, sweet and quiet Tommen would be the king of the Seven Kingdoms. Well, it would definitely be an improvement over Joffrey.

"Have there not been any guards outside your day at all today, Tommen?" Jaime asked him.

"I don't know. I haven't been outside my chambers all day." Tommen answered with a shrug. "I just assumed Dimeria was out there."

Jaime frowned at the news. Why had Dimeria not shown up?

"Are you sure everything is okay?" Tommen's voice called Jaime's attention back.

"Yes. I'll have someone posted out here as quickly as possible. We need to keep you safe." Jaime said with the kindest smile he could muster.

With a nod from Tommen, Jaime turned to leave. The disconcerting fear that something was out of place came back full force, along with a dreadful fear that Jaime was hesitant to confront. Fear driving him forward, Jaime nearly ran to Dimeria's quarters and burst through the doors.

"Dimeria!" He called out, but it was for nothing. Her room was empty. She was gone.

Jaime covered his face and groaned; how had he not noticed before?! He had to find her. Turning quickly, Jaime punched the wooden door in frustration and stormed through the hallways once more.

Where the hell was she? Was she the one that killed-? No. Jaime refused to let himself even finish the thought. Dimeria couldn't have killed him; she was stupid, but she wasn't **that **stupid. Had Jaime not been a seasoned and skilled warrior, he would have gone about the entire castle screaming out her name, but he knew that wouldn't get him anywhere; he had to stay calm.

Perhaps Dimeria was guarding someone else today. Yes, that seemed possible. Jaime allowed the hopeful thought to fill his mind, though his subconscious only glared at him for thinking such foolish things. He should've known better! Where should he start? It was King's Landing, there was a multitude of places that Dimeria could have been! Jaime's first idea was to go to Cersei's chambers; she was one of the most important people in the castle, Dimeria probably decided to keep her safe today. With his hands clenched in anxiety, Jaime made his way to his sister's quarters in search for Dimeria.

What little false hope Jaime had shattered as he rounded the corner and only saw Ser Boros standing at Cersei's doors. Fighting to keep a straight face, Jaime approached Ser Boros to ask him if he had seen Dimeria. The Kingsguard member only glowered as Jaime walked closer to him and Jaime had to resist the urge to roll his eyes. No doubt the man partly blamed him for Joffrey's death; after all, Jaime was the one that moved Ser Boros away from Joffrey for the security preparations of the wedding.

"Ser Boros." Jaime greeted.

"Ser Jaime." Boros glared back. For a moment, Jaime allowed himself to wonder if the man ever did anything but glare, but he quickly gathered his thoughts back in order. Dimeria's whereabouts were much more important than Ser Boros' visage.

"Do you know where Lady Dimeria is?" Jaime asked Ser Boros.

"No." Ser Boros grumbled back. Why should he care about where that bastard girl was?

Jaime's anger flared in his eyes, making them shine brightly. "Have you seen her at all today?" He asked through gritted teeth.

"I haven't seen her since yesterday. I don't think anyone has seen her since the wedding feast." Ser Boros said with a bored, yet still glaring expression. "I take it you haven't seen her anywhere, either?" He asked Jaime.

Jaime's heart felt as if it had exploded, though to anyone looking at him, he still appeared to be the cold, heartless Kingslayer he had always been. Boros' answer only confirmed what Jaime had feared the entire time, yet he still felt the pain pierce him as if he had been taken completely by surprise.

"No, I haven't." Jaime answered, still struggling to keep his composure. "It seems that Lady Dimeria has gone missing."

* * *

**_Okay, I super pinky promise to try to update as quick as I can. Remember to let me know what you guys think!_**

**_Until next time..._**


	47. Chapter 48

*******_**IMPORTANT PLEASE READ*********_

_**Hi everyone, so I know I posted this chapter already, but it has recently come to my attention that someone decided to steal my story and post it on Wattpad as their own work :(**_

_**The reason I'm reposting this is to thank the guest reviewer that told me about this, and also to let you guys know that I am going to be holding off on posting any new chapters until this user stop stealing my work and posting it on his/her account. I'm so sorry that this affects you guys so much. I will continue to write ahead, but I don't want to risk them continuing to take my story.**_

_**So until next time guys :(**_

* * *

The next morning, Jaime's mind was in a whirl.

"I want her found. Search everywhere in the city; every building, every alley, everywhere." Jaime said emphatically. "Go!"

The six other guards in the room nodded at their new command and left the room to go inform the remaining Kingsguard members of what was to be done. Jaime ran a hand through his hair as he slumped down into his seat at the table. How could he have let this happen? The woman he cared so much about was missing, and he didn't even notice? Heavy guilt swarmed his mind. What if she was dead? Jaime cringed at the horrid thought. Gods, and to think that the last thing they did was argue. Jaime sent a silent prayer up to whatever God might be listening. _Please don't let her be dead…_

He didn't know how much time had passed; a couple of minutes, probably more, but Jaime began to get fidgety. He felt as if bugs were crawling under his skin. Sitting still was not an option anymore; he had to move...he had to something! The room he was in suddenly felt too crowded; the air was stuffy and hot, and the walls seemed to be slowly closing in around him. Moving like the golden lion his reputation claimed him to be, Jaime pushed the door open with a loud slam and made his way to sweet freedom. Only it wasn't freedom, it was just more of the winding hallways of the Red Keep with shadows following and haunting him at every turn.

What if he never found Dimeria? Oh, how he wished he could take back every stupid remark he had made to her over the past few days. He was beginning to see how ridiculous he had been for even being mad at Dimeria. So what if she wouldn't have been jealous of other girls? It's not like Jaime ever planned on being with anyone else. Jaime nearly laughed at himself as he thought about it. If only he could have realized how foolish he had been before, but that's just how life worked: you never saw clarity until it was too late.

"Jaime." A deep, commanding voice penetrated his musings. A sigh escaped Jaime's mouth; he didn't even need to look up to know who it was.

"Father." He greeted back just as coldly. He forced an impassive look upon his face as he looked up to see Tywin, though he noted that his father made no effort to hide the disapproving scowl on his own features.

"You've got all of the Kingsguard in an uproar." Tywin said as father and son came face to face.

"Dimeria is missing." Jaime explained to him as if that was the only reason he would ever need.

"So I've heard."

Jaime furrowed his brows in irritation. His father clearly saw no point in searching for Dimeria; she was dispensable as far as he was concerned. "She's an important member of the Kingsguard." Jaime dared to snap at his father.

"Important to the Kingsguard, or important to you?" Tywin questioned.

His question caught Jaime off guard; of course Dimeria was important to him, but was she truly important enough to use the entirety of the Kingsguard to go looking for her? Jaime's subconscious glared at him; how could he ever question Dimeria's value?! Of course he had to look for her!

"Both." Jaime answered his father.

Displeasure radiated from Tywin's eyes as he narrowed them the slightest bit at Jaime's answer. "Your sister thinks she's dangerous."

"Cersei thinks anyone without the last name Lannister is dangerous, though she decided make an exception for Tyrion too." Jaime scowled.

"And she's right to think so." Tywin said without a pause. "How do we know we can trust this girl?"

"She's been protecting Tommen for the past month or so." Jaime said. Anger began pulsing through Jaime's veins. Had Cersei been trying to persuade their father that Dimeria was dangerous? And an even more ludicrous thought: did Tywin believe her? How could he? After all, Tywin was present when Dimeria saved the entire family from those assassins.

"Yes, and how convenient that as soon as Joffrey is murdered she disappears." Tywin speculated.

Jaime wanted to cover his ears to stop himself from hearing these ridiculous accusations. "She didn't do it, I swear she didn't." He said with his voice low.

"And how do you know that?" Tywin interrogated sternly.

"I trust her with my life."

A tense silence enveloped the two of them; Jaime refused to back down to his father with Dimeria as the main focus of the topic. Cold eyes bore into Jaime's own orbs for what felt like years until Tywin finally gave a curt nod to his son.

"When you find her I want her questioned and under observation until we find out what has happened." Tywin commanded.

Jaime only nodded in confirmation, barely moving aside as his father made his way past him. With his hands clenched at his sides, Jaime continued his anxious pacing of the castle. He had a strong feeling that he wouldn't be getting any rest until Dimeria was found.

…

Gods, her head was pounding. Where the hell was she? Every particle of her body felt hundreds of pounds heavier than they actually were. She couldn't move; she felt she barely had enough energy to even breathe!

What happened? How did she get here? Where was **here?** Why did she feel so awful?

Darkness was her world, though she didn't even know why. Her mind was out of sorts; nothing felt right, especially not the liquid that was covering half her face. What was that...blood? Well shit, why was she bleeding?

The pounding in her head seemed to intensify as her mind tried to crawl back up from the heavy pit of mystery and pain that it was shrouded in, but the blackness soon had her mind ensnared once more. A floating fuzziness buzzed around her head as her limbs were finally relieved of their pain when weightlessness encased them once more.

She would sleep just a little bit longer, that way her head wouldn't hurt so much; then she would get up...or at least open her eyes to see where she was. Within a matter of seconds, her senses dropped off the face of the world again and everything was silent and dark.

…

It was well past midday and Jaime was still a wound up ball of anxiety. His first instinct was to train in order to blow off some steam, but he couldn't exactly do that with all of the other knights searching for Dimeria. And that was when he found Bronn.

"The golden Lannister boy wants to spar with me?" Bronn teased Jaime. "We should go somewhere private then; we wouldn't want people actually seeing the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard getting his ass beaten."

"And where do you suggest we go?" Jaime asked with a sigh.

So there they were, training in the same area that Jaime and Dimeria sparred in, and where Bronn decided to bring his whores late at night. They exchanged blows consistently and viciously, with Bronn surprising Jaime with his unexpected skill. Sweat dripped down both their brows, but neither of them relented. For Jaime it was a matter of pride, for Bronn it was a great source of amusement watching the great Kingslayer struggle with fighting for once.

A break came in their fighting and Bronn, hardly ever capable of keeping his mouth shut, decided to start a conversation. "Still haven't found Lady Dimeria, I take it." He asked, slightly out of breath.

"If she were found, I wouldn't be here with you." Jaime said bluntly as he took a seat on the rocky ledge. The sun was beginning to set, mirroring the downward spiral his spirit was taking. Not even the bright splashes of red and orange could cheer Jaime up.

"She didn't do it...kill Joffrey, I mean." Bronn said.

"I know she didn't." Jaime agreed with a sigh.

"And neither did Tyrion." Bronn continued. "Poison isn't his style. Neither is murder for that matter."

A flash of fearful doubt crossed Jaime's face at Bronn's words; with everything going on, Jaime wasn't sure what to believe half the time; anything that he happened to think of was just a muddled mess. The look did not go unnoticed by Bronn.

"If you want to know for sure, why don't you just ask him." Bronn suggested, and when no response came forth from Jaime, the sellsword was able to draw his own conclusions. "You haven't been to see him yet, have you?"

Jaime clenched his teeth and stood up. "I think we're done for today." He mumbled. Not only was he utterly and completely panicked about Dimeria's disappearance, but he was also feeling a bucketful of guilt about not visiting his own little brother.

Bronn wasn't about to let Jaime evade his fears so easily. "Your brother ever tell you how I came into his service?" He called after him.

"You fought for him in his trial by combat at the Eyrie." Jaime said, knowing full well what had happened those several years ago.

"Aye." Bronn confirmed with a nod. "But only when Lady Arryn demanded the trial take place that day. You were his first choice." Jaime turned to Bronn then, confusion evident in his emerald eyes; he hadn't heard this side of the story.

"He named you because he knew you would ride day and night to come fight for him. You gonna fight for him now?" Bronn went on with his guilt trip. Once again, Jaime was silent at the revelation, but Bronn wasn't quite finished yet; he still had one more trick up his sleeve to ensure Jaime would go see Tyrion.

"You seem to have your mind completely focused on Dimeria, so let me tell you this: she and Tyrion are friends and if she were in your position, she wouldn't have hesitated to go visit him for one second."

Bronn's words began to sink in much to Jaime's dismay. He had to admit; Bronn had a special talent for increasing people's guilt.

…

"To tell you the truth, this isn't so bad. Four walls, a pot to piss in." Jaime said, observing Tyrion's cell. "I was chained to a wooden post covered in my own shit for months." Eerie shadows were cast across the floor of the cell, making it a tiny bit harder for Jaime to believe the encouraging words he was trying to say to Tyrion.

Tyrion glared over at his brother. He was happy Jaime had come to visit, he really was, but it didn't get him any closer to being out of prison. "Is that supposed to make me feel better?" He mumbled dismally.

"Maybe a bit." Jaime said with a small smirk. "I'm sorry I didn't come sooner."

A shrug was the only response Jaime got for his apology, though he didn't really expect anything more. "Well, since you're comparing your days of capture to mine, does that mean Dimeria is going to secretly release me anytime soon?" Tyrion asked jokingly, for he knew that chances of that happening were extremely slim.

Jaime's face fell into a frown at the mention of Dimeria; Gods he missed her. Not knowing where she was or if she was alive was killing him. All he wanted was some certainty of her fate, but he knew he wasn't going to get that until she was found. He just felt so unsure of himself at this point, as if any step could be in the wrong direction and he wouldn't even know about it.

"What's happened?" Tyrion asked seriously as he observed his brother's morose face.

"Dimeria's gone missing." Jaime said barely above a whisper.

Tyrion's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "What?!"

"No one's seen her since Joffrey was killed."

With a heavy sigh, Tyrion dropped his head into his hands. "I wager that everyone thinks she has something to do with Joffrey's death." He muttered miserably.

"Well, I'm pretty sure everyone thinks you're the one that did it, but yes, I suppose people are going to assume she was an accomplice." Jaime said, struggling to reign in the sadness he felt at the thought of Dimeria being accused of murder.

Tyrion lifted his face from his hands. "So both Dimeria and Sansa are nowhere to be found." He shook his head. "They didn't deserve what they got when they came into King's Landing...neither of them." Tyrion said thinking about the torture that Sansa had to endure and the burden that Dimeria had to carry after finding out she was a Targaryen.

"Do you think we were right in telling Dimeria?" He asked Jaime.

"Telling her what?" Jaime questioned.

"Who she is."

It was Jaime's turn to sigh heavily now. "I don't know. She would've found out eventually if we hadn't." He said; his mind turning to her two baby dragons, though he knew better than to mention the subject out loud. "And if we hadn't told her, she would've been just as upset."

"She does have quite the temper, doesn't she?" Tyrion said with a small laugh. The two Lannister brothers sat on in silence, both of them brooding over the chance that Dimeria had suffered some sort of ill fate. When Tyrion saw his brother's face fall lower than he had ever seen before, he felt it was his duty to cheer him up in some way.

"They'll find her, Jaime." He told him.

Jaime scoffed softly and shook his head dismally. "Dead, or alive?"

…

Consciousness slowly began seeping back into her life. _Damn it..._She thought to herself. Her limbs still seemed to weigh a ton and she didn't even think about trying to move them. Everything around her felt cold and tough, definitely uncomfortable. The throbbing in her head had returned just as intense as before, probably even more so.

Gods, was this a hangover of some sort? What the hell happened? She wished she could remember something, anything! But all she could focus on was the immense pain her body was in. Well, at least she knew she wasn't dead. Her heavy limbs suddenly felt cold; she was outside. A chill wind brushed over her sensitive skin, but she just couldn't bring herself to move at all.

Maybe she could call for help…

Messages began being sent to her mouth from her brain, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't even open her mouth. The vast effort she put into just trying to speak was exhausting her even more than should've been possible. The throbbing of her headache intensified to a steadier rhythm, much like someone beating on a drum constantly.

_Screw this…_

And once again, a heavy cloud settled over her mind and body, and she knew no more.

Voices pierced through her ears, stripping the comforting blanket of darkness and silence away from her. Cold air still rested on her skin and her throbbing head deeply protested at being woken up once more. Bodily functions were still not under her control, yet she still had to deal with the irritating voices that had shattered her incoherent reverie of peace.

Why were they shouting? Geez, could they not quiet down? Their incessant yells and screams were like blaring trumpets pressed directly against her ears, making her head feel like it was being bashed with a club. A sudden flash of some memory crossed her mind, bringing a rapid blaze of searing pain across her head. Her body jerked involuntarily as the memory played out in her mind's eye; the first time she had moved in what felt like years.

What did she just remember? Had that actually happened? Instead of being able to search back in her seemingly nonexistent memory, the pounding in her head jumped into overdrive. The distant voices rang in her ears, echoing on and on, forever and ever; endlessly reverberating in her canals until her brain felt like it was going to burst. How she desperately wished she had control over her arms, for she then would have covered her ears in order to block out the harsh screams that were slowly getting closer and closer to wherever she was.

What were they doing, and why were they shouting? Perhaps they were looking for her; after all, she had no idea where she was. No, she decided; she didn't want them to find her. Finding her would mean that they would want her to move from wherever she was, and she was positive that moving would only cause her more unwanted pain.

_Just let me sleep for a little while longer…_ That was all she wanted. Maybe the next time she woke up she would feel better, and then she would be able to remember what brought her to be in such a horrible position in the first place. Silently pleading the voices to shut up, her mind fell back into the dark, abysmal hole of tranquility; and she was unconscious once more.

* * *

**Remember to let me know what you all think! Thanks so much for sticking through with this story, it means so much!**

**Until next time...**


	48. Chapter 49

_**A/N: Good news, everyone! The user on Wattpad who decided it would be a brilliant idea to steal my work has removed it from their account, so I've decided to post a new chapter as a little celebration :)**_

**_A little update on what happened: I messaged the user multiple times and then reported them so they would remove my work from their account. After deleting it, the user decided to bash my FanFic as they explained to their followers why they deleted it from their account, saying that it was "a complete failure and very stupid" and that they decided they needed to delete that, "piece of garbage". _**

**_After thinking about it for about 3 seconds, I decided I didn't exactly care what the user had said about my FanFic, as long as they were no longer stealing my work. The user can do whatever they desire and say whatever they desire as long as they are not taking my story. And besides, I have all of you lovely followers that are still supporting me after a year and that just thrills me :) _**

**_So read on, Jaimeria lovers! We have some good developments here ;)_**

* * *

It wasn't necessarily required for him to visit his brother's body in the Sept of Baelor, but Tommen knew that if he didn't accompany his mother that morning, he would be in big trouble. They walked through the early morning sunlight streaming through the hallways in silence. Even if Tommen had wanted to make conversation, he wouldn't have known what to say. His mother was mourning heavily for Joffrey, though Tommen couldn't say the same for himself; he was more concerned about a certain warrior who had gone missing a couple of days ago. A sigh escaped his lips as they walked through the grand doors into the Sept. There he was, lying on his back on a cold block of rock; Joffrey had finally been killed. The thought had always rested in the back of Tommen's mind that his brother would eventually fall down from the upward spiral of sadistic power he had gained so quickly, but it still hadn't prepared him for his actual death. Tommen saw his grandfather already in the Sept, looking down at Joffrey's body with an emotionless mask. The young Lannister boy often wondered if Tywin ever had any feelings, but he dared not ask the man.

For a long while the three of them stood around Joffrey's body in silence with only the slight shuffling feet of the several priests shattering the quiet. It wasn't until Tywin opened his mouth that the uncomfortable stillness was fully disrupted. It took Tommen a moment to even register what Tywin had said to him. Tywin began questioning him on what qualities a king needed. A sliver of panic whipped through Tommen; he didn't know! He was never meant to even be king...that was always his brother, but he kept his thoughts to himself and kept a calm demeanor. He began listing several qualities that he believed a king should acquire if he were to rule, but Tywin apparently didn't fully agree with his choices. Tommen began thinking even harder; he couldn't keep saying stupid answers; that would just be embarrassing.

What made a good king?

Tommen pondered over his grandfather's question. Was it holiness? Justice? Or was it strength?

Wisdom.

"Yes." Tywin congratulated Tommen. "A wise king knows what he knows and what he doesn't." He explained to him as they stood over the body of Joffrey.

Some part of Tommen knew that it was slightly inappropriate to be discussing these things when his brother was dead on a concrete slab, but he dared not defy the menacing Tywin Lannister; besides, it's not as if there was any love lost with Joffrey's death. He was never the brother that Tommen desired and after Myrcella was shipped off to Dorne, Tommen never sought out Joffrey's company; he was used to being alone.

"You're young, and a wise young king listens to his counselors and heeds their advice until he comes of age. And the wisest kings continue to listen to them long afterwards." Tywin continued.

Tommen let his words sink in. If he was to be king, he would have to learn everything from someone and he didn't see anything wrong with seeking his grandfather's advice. People listened to and respected him; Tommen would need those same things when he was king, right?

"Now, as the king, you'll have to marry." Tywin said, interrupting Tommen's inner musings. "Do you understand why?"

Tommen suddenly perked a little bit at the idea of having a queen. "A King needs a Queen." He said.

"Yes, but why?"

"To further the family line." Tommen said easily. It wasn't a difficult question.

Tywin nodded in approval at his answer and began walking with his grandson out of the sept, leaving Cersei alone with her son's body. The emptiness of Joffrey's body was no where near the size of the void in her heart, and to make matters even worse, her father just couldn't wait to start grooming Tommen to be King. Her son was just murdered, did that mean nothing to him?!

Cersei scolded herself for even thinking it would. Her father was a heartless, cold man who cared nothing for emotions. There was a time when Cersei idolized that lifestyle simply because it kept her safe, but now look where she was: heartbroken and with hardly anything left to live for. Everything in her life seemed to have shattered around her in broken pieces; all of them irreplaceable and impossible to salvage.

…

Jaime had barely managed to get even three hours of sleep that night, for his mind was still too busy worrying about Dimeria. Several times late at night when he found himself not thinking, Jaime mindlessly walked to Dimeria's chambers only to be welcomed by a chillingly empty room. The terrible thought that perhaps her room might remain empty forever nearly brought Jaime to his knees; he couldn't bear to think of never seeing her again.

The morning after his three pitiful hours of sleep, Jaime went straight to the other men of the Kingsguard to get a full report on how much they had searched the day before. Much to his utter disappointment, the men reported that they hadn't seen any sign of Dimeria the day before and the people they had thought to ask hadn't seen her either. Frustration boiling under his skin, Jaime sent them back out into the city, telling them to pick up their search where they had left off the night before.

"Yes, my Lord." They all said astutely before taking off.

Very slowly, Jaime could begin to feel his hope eroding away. He clenched his hands and gritted his teeth, thinking that through some physical effort he would be able to hold his resolve. By late morning Jaime began wondering if perhaps he should join his men in the search for Dimeria, but he quickly realized that he had somewhere to be: In the Sept of Baelor to mourn over Joffrey's body with the rest of his family. He sighed at the thought; Jaime had no desire to see the former king's body, but he knew it was expected of him.

He arrived at the Sept just in time to see Tywin walking out with Tommen. "How are you?" Jaime asked Tommen.

"I'm alright." The boy said softly.

"You are. You will be." Jaime said with a stern nod. "I'll see to that."

Jaime watched with interest as Tommen, his actual son, walked away. While it had been hard to digest that he could produce such a monster like Joffrey, it was just as hard to believe that Tommen was his too. He was so sweet and quiet; the exact opposite of both Jaime and Cersei, not to mention his assumed father, Robert Baratheon. It was a mystery to Jaime as to how both Tommen and Myrcella had turned out to be such good children; perhaps it was because he didn't have any hand in raising them.

And with that rather depressing thought, Jaime walked forward to the woman who did have a hand in raising all three of their children: Cersei. Her shoulders were slumped and her face was drawn into a deep frown; she looked completely and utterly defeated. It was so strange seeing her in this condition; so weak and so vulnerable, yet here she was...a cold shell of the woman she had made herself become. The odd stirrings of pity roused within his chest again, catching Jaime completely off guard.

"Give the Queen a moment alone with her son." Jaime told the priests in the Sept. They all exited with no argument and Jaime was left alone with his sister.

He had thought that perhaps he looked worn out after constantly worrying about Dimeria, but after seeing his sister; Jaime knew his dark circles were nothing compared to Cersei's bloodshot eyes and haggard wrinkles.

"It was Tyrion. He killed him." Cersei muttered as Jaime made his way slowly over to her. The softness of her voice surprised Jaime, yet he could still pick out the horrible malice her words were laced with. Her slumped shoulders made her seem so small to Jaime as he came up behind her; he suddenly remembered memories of them as children and when he finally began to grow taller than her. Even if she were standing up straight she would've had to stand up on her toes to be face-to-face with him.

"He told me he would." Cersei continued, drawing Jaime from his memories. " 'A day will come when you think you are safe and happy and your joy will turn to ashes in your mouth.' That's what he said to me." Cersei said with eyes glued to her son's body. "You saw it. You saw Joff point at him just before he-"

"I don't know what I saw." Jaime cut her off. He refused to hear any more accusations against his brother like this.

"Avenge him. Avenge our son." Cersei urged him. The softness her voice had contained earlier was now being replaced with utter hatred now, and Jaime found himself wanting the old Cersei back; his sister, his twin, the woman she had been before she married that horrid Robert Baratheon.

"Kill Tyrion."

Jaime's mouth nearly stood agape. "He's my brother." He stuttered out. "Our brother." Gods Jaime wished they could go back to when they were children. When Cersei's hatred for Tyrion could only go so far as ignoring him and glaring; when Jaime could spend his days jumping off the cliffs at Casterly Rock; when he didn't have to worry about that damn Aerys Targaryen. He wanted to go all the way back when the only people he knew was his family; he wanted to forget every little thing and every single person he had ever met. Then his life would be easier, but did that include forgetting Dimeria? At the moment it seemed it did, for this was the first time that Jaime had ceased thinking of Dimeria for the past few days.

"There'll be a trial. We'll get to the truth of what happened." Jaime said in an effort to appease his sister.

"I don't want a trial." Cersei snapped, making the ache of knowing his kind sister wasn't ever going to come back even worse for Jaime. "He'll squirm his way to freedom given the chance. I want him dead."

Jaime stared at her skeptically, still believing that if he were given the chance to go back, he could save his sister from becoming such a heartless woman. A sob suddenly escaped Cersei's mouth.

There she was. That was the Cersei he found himself wanting; the one that actually had emotions and didn't turn each situation into one of revenge. Jaime's heart thawed with pity as he saw tears run down his sister's face. How many years had it been since he had seen her like this? The last time Jaime could remember was the night their mother died; the night they had comforted each other over the loss of their mom. Never again had Cersei been so open about how she was feeling.

And now, after so many years of hatred and anger, it took another death of a person Cersei loved to come away from her customary mask of stone.

"Please, Jaime. You have to." Cersei cried as she turned into Jaime's chest. Slowly and rather awkwardly, Jaime's strong arms moved around her back, comforting her like he hadn't done in so long.

"He was our son...our baby boy." She choked out. Jaime looked down at the shaking form against his chest as all other thoughts fled his mind. He was no longer thinking about the fact that Cersei was a heartless woman who only enjoyed power and cruelty; the instinct to get away from her was overridden by a melancholy sense of longing for the past.

As Jaime looked down at the golden hair splayed across Cersei's back, his mind could no longer register that the woman he should have been holding had hair blacker than night, with a shimmering white streak to caress her cheek; but he couldn't recall any of those details at the time. Jaime was too caught up in past to worry about the present...and it felt good not to worry. He leaned his cheek on top of her wavy locks, relishing the softness even though somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew Dimeria's hair was softer.

Cersei then shifted within Jaime's arms, moving her head to gaze up at him. Jaime reflected her movement, repressing his surprise when he looked into green eyes rather than an encapsulating blue. His mind felt heavy; something was wrong here, but he just couldn't find the willpower to figure it out. All of the confusion, frustration, concern, and just outright stress came pouring forth from the depths of his mind, knocking out the light that helped guide him to see reason. And with that light gone, all rationality in Jaime was gone; blue eyes no longer stared at him with love and concern, white streaks of hair no longer caught his eyes in the darkness, the light of a beautiful smile no longer called to him like a beacon of life.

Before Jaime could realize what he was doing, he was leaning forward towards Cersei. Bells should have been tolling in Jaime's mind, but they were all being muffled; trumpets should have been blaring within his ears, but they were all plugged up. Only one person could have stopped Jaime at this point, and that person was currently missing from the Capitol…

Right?

With a deafeningly loud crash, the doors to the Sept burst open. New light streamed into the room, causing Jaime to squint his eyes in abrupt surprise and Cersei to glare in irritation.

"Lord Commander!" A breathless guard panted.

"What is it?" Jaime asked with confusion.

"It's Lady Dimeria." The guard said. "They've found her."

The bells were released, the trumpets were uncovered, and a joyous chorus erupted in Jaime's mind. Too elated was he to notice the hiss of displeasure from Cersei. Within seconds he was striding away from her and following the guard to wherever they were keeping Dimeria. The past few minutes caught up with Jaime as he sprinted through the winding hallways. An entirely new cacophony of emotions rushed through his mind and as he continued find his way closer to Dimeria, Jaime couldn't decide if his heart was stuck in his throat from delight, or crushing shame from what he had almost done with Cersei.

…

Gods, what the hell was going on?! The pounding in Dimeria's head was back, her heavy limbs felt as if they were about to fall off of her body, and she still had no idea where she was. Loud voices had woken her up once again and much to her confusion and disappointment, Dimeria still had no control over her bodily functions.

"She's here! We found her!" A man screamed over her body. Dimeria wanted to wince in pain, but she just couldn't find the strength to do so.

An intense shaking on her shoulder wracked her brain. _Stop stop stop stop stop…_ Her mind screamed. "Lady Dimeria? Lady Dimeria, can you hear me?"

_Yes, now please stop screaming!_ Her subconscious begged pitifully. Oh, how she wished she weren't handicapped for some odd reason. What the hell had made her like this anyway? Before she could think about it any longer, whoever had been screaming in her face lifted her lifeless body up and cradled her in his arms.

_Ow, ow, ow, stop please… _Her subconscious mentally glared at her carrier, hating him for causing her even more unstoppable pain.

"Where was she?!" A new voice surged into Dimeria's head.

"In the alley over there. Make sure the men search all around here; we need to find out how this happened." The man who carried her said.

_An alley?!_ Her mind screamed. _How did I end up in an alley?!_

"I'm taking her back to the Keep right away. She needs attention from the Maester." The man said.

The man then started taking quick and rather bouncy steps, making Dimeria's limbs flop all over the place like a rag doll. Her massive headache pounded in time to the man's pace, hurried and relentless.

_By the Gods...Please. Slow. Down._ Dimeria's subconscious whined as the painful hammering in her head continued. Seconds and minutes mushed together, becoming indecipherable until Dimeria finally fell into darkness once more.

…

She didn't know how long she had been out, but by the time her mind became active again; Dimeria was no longer in some stranger's arms, but being laid on a bed. It was soft and plush, cradling her aching body and head.

"Yes, put her down here." A breathy voice spoke over her.

A panic settled over Dimeria's mind. _Oh Gods, not Pycelle!_ Her mind screamed.

"What happened to her?" His irritating voice asked.

"I don't know. We found her lying unconscious in an alley. She's got a pretty good gash on her head though, I think she's lost a lot of blood." The same voice from earlier spoke.

_No wonder my head hurts so much…_ Dimeria's subconscious muttered.

"I need to inspect her right away." Pycelle garbled out breathlessly.

_No, no, no, no...please no…_

"Of course, Grand Maester. I'll leave you to it." The man from earlier said. Retreating footsteps left Dimeria's side and she was left alone with hideous old maester.

"Well, time to see what you've been up to for the past three days…" Pycelle said to himself.

_Gods damn it…_ Dimeria thought before she fell unconscious once more.

…

"Is she okay? Why isn't she awake yet?" An urgent voice pulled Dimeria from darkness again.

"Ser Jaime, I must ask you to calm down." Pycelle said.

_Jaime!_ Dimeria's mind screamed.

"Do **not** tell me what to do, old man." Jaime's voice dropped dangerously. "Tell me what happened to her."

Dimeria heard Pycelle sigh before he answered the irritable Kingsguard Commander. "Lady Dimeria seems to have suffered a head wound."

_Head wound?_ Dimeria wondered. A quick flash of someone smashing something down on her head flew through her mind. But why?

"I also found small traces of poison left around her nose and mouth." Pycelle said.

"Poison?!" Jaime asked, voicing the question that Dimeria couldn't ask herself.

"Yes, there is not enough for me to identify exactly what it is, but my best guess would be some sort of paralytic or knock out poison to keep Lady Dimeria immobile for quite some time."

_Bastards…_ Dimeria thought as she tried to remember who could have done this to her.

She could hear Jaime pacing anxiously around the room and Dimeria desperately wished that whatever this poison was would wear off so she could see him.

"And you're sure she's going to be okay? Shouldn't she have woken up by now?" Dimeria could hear the panic in Jaime's voice clearly.

"Her head wound is rather severe, Ser Jaime. It's actually a good thing she hasn't woken up yet, or else she would be in quite a bit of pain."

_Except I have woken up and I am in a load of pain!_ Dimeria's subconscious complained.

"And her reason for not waking yet? Well, I suspect that has something to do with how much poison entered her system."

_I __**am**__ awake, I just can't move, you idiots!_

An audible sigh escaped Jaime's lips and Dimeria imagined him running his hand through his hair in frustration. "I want to be told of any progress she makes." He said sternly before he began walking away.

_Wait, no! Jaime, don't leave!_ Dimeria's mind screamed._ Please, don't leave…_

…

"Ser Jaime, I don't think Lady Dimeria would want you doing this." A familiar voice said.

"Doing what?" Jaime grumbled.

"Torturing yourself. She will wake up with time." The voice said.

A shaky breath escaped Jaime's lips and the hand that Dimeria hadn't realized Jaime had been holding felt the pressure of his tightened grip. "I want her to wake up. I need her to be okay."

_I'll wake up, Jaime, don't worry!_

"She will wake up, Ser Jaime, do not worry yourself like this." The voice echoed Dimeria's own thoughts.

"How do you know?" Jaime asked skeptically. "You may be the Master of Whispers and what not, but you can't tell the future."

_Varys?_ Dimeria's mind whirled at the sudden realization.

"Call it instinct, Ser Jaime." Dimeria could practically hear the unnerving smile in Varys' voice.

Another sigh erupted from Jaime, skating over Dimeria's arm in a warm puff. "We were in a fight." Jaime stated all of a sudden. "The was the last thing we talked about...some stupid argument."

"Well, perhaps you can continue that fight when she wakes up." Varys said. If Dimeria had been able to, she would've laughed at the strange, yet optimistic comment.

Silence drifted into the room for a long while and Dimeria felt herself nearly drop back into unconsciousness when Jaime's voice stopped her. "You have spies all over this city...all over the kingdoms. Can you find out what happened to her?" Jaime asked.

_Yeah, can't you find out what happened to me?_ Dimeria's mind asked with irritation. How was it no one knew what happened to her?

"I will do my best, Ser Jaime." Varys answered. It wasn't long before Dimeria heard his shuffling steps exit the room, leaving her alone with Jaime.

She suddenly felt both of his hands cover one of her own, caressing her skin with impossible gentleness. He leaned his forehead against her hand and then kissed the back of it, and that was when she heard Jaime's slight sniffle and the drop of a tear on her skin.

_Jaime!_ She mentally scolded him._ Don't cry, why are you crying?!_

"I'm sorry." Jaime whispered. His hand was now at her brow, carefully moving stray hairs away from her forehead. "I'm sorry for arguing with you, I'm sorry for everything. Please, wake up, little warrior. Please, just wake up."

Dimeria felt more warm tears fall upon her hand until she once again fell asleep.

…

She dreamt that night. Every single time she had fall unconscious, Dimeria never dreamt, but this time she did. She dreamt that she was running; sprinting through dark shadows and winding tunnels, endlessly chasing something that was just out of reach. Dimeria couldn't really make sense of anything until suddenly, she caught what she was chasing; or rather, _who _she was chasing.

"_Sansa! What are you doing?!_" _Dimeria had a tight grip on the Stark girl's wrist, who was frantically looking back at her and the King's Fool. _

"_I-I…" The poor girl stuttered out. _

"_My lady, we must move." The Fool ordered. He tugged Sansa along, but Dimeria was stronger. _

"_Sansa, you can't leave. If you leave everyone's going to think you killed Joffrey." Dimeria told her._

"_But I didn't!" She said with panic._

"_I know you didn't!"_

"_My lady!" The Fool said again. He pulled on Sansa's arm again, but when Dimeria tried to stop him, she was wrenched backwards herself. _

_She let out a cry, eyes widening in fear as Sansa was pulled out of her grasp and ran further down the alley. Strong hands gripped Dimeria's arms, keeping her from moving an inch. One hand suddenly covered her mouth and nose with a wet piece of cloth. A strong, nasty scent filled her senses as her eyelids began to grow heavy with fatigue._

"_Sansa…" She whispered, though it was muffled. _

_Dimeria dropped to the ground on her side, her blurry vision stopping her from seeing who had attacked her. The dark form hovered over her, just staring. A soft moan escaped her lips as she moved her head to clear her vision. Then, out of nowhere, the dark shadow bashed something incredibly hard against the side of her head, and Dimeria knew no more._

…

For the first time in what felt like years, blue eyes opened to receive the light of an early dawn. Colors that Dimeria's eyes hadn't seen for quite some time seemed extremely vibrant, shocking her senses and causing her to blink several times in order to adjust. She could still feel the weight of Jaime's hand over her own and the brush of his hair against her arm where he had apparently laid his head down from exhaustion. Dimeria couldn't quite bring herself to move though, she was still relishing in the fact that she could finally see. Deep breaths expelled from her lungs as she felt warm blood rush through limbs that hadn't been moved for days. Several minutes passed before Dimeria's arms and legs began screaming in protest at not being moved when they were perfectly capable of doing so. She took a sideways glance at Jaime whose head was leaned against the bed with is hand still clutching hers tightly.

"Lannister...you're crushing my hand…" Her unused vocal cords produced a scratchy sound that surprised even herself, though it seemed to shock Jaime even more.

Jaime's head shot up abruptly at the sound of her voice, eyes wide from astonishment. "Dimeria?" He spoke breathlessly.

"What?" She spoke slowly, uncomfortable with sudden attention she was receiving from Jaime.

He stood suddenly, leaning over her bed to get a better look at her. "You're awake! By the Gods, you're awake!" He said with amazement.

"Yes...obviously…"

Jaime began caressing her cheeks and stroking hair out of her face furiously, though Dimeria didn't complain. It seemed that he couldn't get enough of looking into her eyes, for he never stopped gazing at them. He began slowing his hands; his right hand twisting her white strand of hair and his left hand caressing her cheek.

Dimeria brought her hand up to rest over his. "I missed you, too." She said softly.

"I thought you'd never wake up." He whispered.

Dimeria smiled, remembering that she had been awake, though no one else knew about it. She decided not to mention that fact and began trying to sit up.

"Woah, be careful…" Jaime warned her, immediately shifting to try to keep her from sitting up.

Dimeria ignored him and tried to stretch her tired and creaky limbs. "How long have I been out?" She asked him.

"Since you got to the capitol, almost 2 days." Dimeria sighed at his answer. "But you were missing for about 3 days before we found you."

_Three days!_ Dimeria thought to herself._ No wonder my body hurts so much…_

"I'm sorry." Jaime muttered all of a sudden.

Dimeria snapped her head to attention. "For what?"

"That it took so long-to find you, I mean. I...I didn't even realize it-I don't know what was wrong with me!" He stuttered.

Dimeria furrowed her brows in confusion at Jaime's sudden anguish. "Jaime…" She said, ignoring her tight muscles and reaching for his hand. "It's not your fault, the King was dying and-" Dimeria stopped at her realization. "The King is dead…"

Jaime sighed as he watched Dimeria remember what had happened before she had gone missing. "Yes...he was poisoned."

"By whom?!"

Jaime shrugged uncomfortably. "I don't know, but everyone else seems to think it was Tyrion."

"Tyrion!" Dimeria exclaimed as she jumped off the bed.

"Dimeria, please be careful!" Jaime ordered. It seemed that Dimeria's muscles were through with letting her strain them too much, and her knees finally gave out. Jaime wrapped his arm around her waist with sigh and sat her back down on the bed gently, taking his own seat next to her.

"Tyrion couldn't have killed him." Dimeria said.

"I know."

Dimeria reached up to run her hand through her hair, but winced when her hand made contact with the still healing gash in her head. "Gods, how could this have happened. I almost wish I hadn't woken up." She mumbled to herself.

"I don't." Jaime said, gripping Dimeria's hand tightly.

"Lannister, what do you-" Dimeria began to ask, but was cut off as the entrance to the room was opened by Maester Pycelle, with a lurking Varys right behind.

"Lady Dimeria, you've woken up!" Pycelle said with as much enthusiasm his old body could muster up. Disappointment suddenly crossed his eyes. "You should not be sitting up yet."

Dimeria and Jaime sighed at the same time, both of them knowing that the Maester was going to want to do some sort of check-up on Dimeria. Jaime stood from the bed as Dimeria shifted to lay back down again. Jaime's mind was in an absolute whirl; he feared that one second away from Dimeria would take her away from again. With a subtle clearing of the throat catching his attention, Jaime turned to regard Varys for the first time. He suddenly remember what he had asked Varys to do the last time they had spoken and as if he were speaking through his eyes, Jaime gave Varys a look asking him if he had succeeded. All he received was a nearly imperceptible nod, confirming both Jaime's hopes...and fears.

* * *

_**Again, I want to thank all of you for sticking around for this long. It warms my heart as an amateur author and gives me drive to keep pursuing something that I enjoy. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, remember to leave reviews!**_

_**Until next time...**_


	49. Chapter 50

"When can I get out of this damn dress?" Dimeria asked with a heaving sigh. It had dawned upon her during Pycelle's irritating check up that she was still wearing the horrid Kingsguard dress that Cersei had forced upon her. After several days of being unconscious in an alley, the dress was covered in dirt and the blood from her head wound; the only comfort Dimeria had was that at least Pycelle hadn't undressed her while inspecting her unconscious body.

"My lady, I must say it's wonderful to see you awake." Varys said, ignoring her question. "You look much better than you did before."

Dimeria narrowed her eyes at the backwards compliment, but said nothing of it.

"What did you find out?" Jaime asked Varys with furrowed brows.

"Find out about what?" Dimeria asked confusedly.

Varys exchanged a look with Jaime, causing Dimeria to glare at both of them before the eunuch finally addressed Jaime's question. "My little birds last saw Lady Dimeria running after the Lady Sansa when King Joffrey died."

"Yes, Joffrey's fool started leading her away as soon as Joffrey began choking. I could have told you that." Dimeria said indignantly.

"You mean you remember everything?" Jaime asked her.

"I couldn't really remember anything when I was in the alley, but-" Dimeria began, but was interrupted.

"You knew you were in an alley?" Jaime questioned again.

"Well, not at the time, no. But there were a couple of times when I woke up-"

"You woke up? I thought you were unconscious the whole time."

"Gods, Lannister! Would you let me talk!" Dimeria finally snapped at Jaime. She pinched the bridge of her nose to relieve the mounting tension, ignoring the rather amused smirk on Varys' face. With a deep breath, Dimeria went on with her memory of what happened:

"I didn't know what the hell was going on the first time I woke up. I couldn't move at all and my entire body felt like I'd been run over by a stampede of horses. I would get random flashbacks of what happened when I ran after Sansa, but I didn't know what they were. I figured out I was in the alley by listening to what everyone around me was saying after the Kingsguard found me. The rest I just figured out for myself." Dimeria said with an exhausted shrug. Even though she had been out for the last few days, she felt completely spent.

"How do you mean?" Varys asked her patiently.

"I had a dream last night about what happened. It felt way too real to just be a dream, though. I was chasing Sansa and I caught up to her, but before I could take her back with me, someone attacked me from behind. They covered my face with some cloth, I collapsed, then whoever it was finished off the job by smashing a rock or something on my head." Dimeria finished by gesturing to the gash on her head.

"So that poison must have been a paralytic like Pycelle said." Jaime said.

"I guess so…" Dimeria agreed.

"Hm…" Varys mused aloud. "It must have been quite torturous having to listen to everything going on around you, but not being able to do anything about it." A distant look, cloudy haze crossed over Varys' eyes, and possibly even the slightest hint of anger behind his normally emotionless facade.

Dimeria gritted her teeth together and furrowed her brows. "It definitely wasn't pleasant."

The eunuch seemed to mentally shake himself clear of his thoughts. "Well, I suppose I'll leave the two of you alone. Again, it's wonderful to see you awake, Lady Dimeria." And with that, Varys bowed to Jaime and Dimeria, and walked out of the room.

"Come on." Jaime said, offering Dimeria his hand as he stood up. "Let's go back to your room and get you cleaned up."

Dimeria took his hand. "I want to go see Tyrion." She said.

"After we get you out of this dress."

With a sigh at Jaime's stern command, Dimeria followed his lead and began walking to her chambers. They walked in silence, which Jaime was rather thankful for. He wasn't quite sure how to feel about Dimeria being able to hear things around her at some points. Had she heard him crying over her body when she was still unconscious? Had she heard his conversation with Varys?

"_If I may, Ser Jaime, you seem much more distraught than I expected you to be." The eunuch said. _

_Jaime sighed at Varys' perception. "I want her to wake up…" He mumbled._

"_But…?" Varys said, picking up on the unfinished tone in Jaime's voice._

"_I'm scared for when she does wake up." Jaime concluded._

_Even Varys seemed rather surprised by his answer. "And why is that, Ser Jaime?" He asked after a moment of silence. _

_Jaime shook his head. "I've done something…" He squeezed his eyes shut. "She'd hate me for it if she found out." Jaime could feel his muscles tensing up at the thought of Dimeria finding out that he had almost kissed Cersei._

"_She's looked beyond your past misdeeds," Varys said, "why would she not look past one more?"_

"_This is different." Jaime said. "I betrayed her trust."_

An involuntary shiver went down Jaime's spine as he relived the conversation. He hoped to the Gods that Dimeria hadn't been awake for it; she hadn't made any mention of it, so that was a good sign at least. Before he knew it, they were at the door of Dimeria's room. Dimeria went straight to her wardrobe to search for something new to wear, thankful that she had kept a pair of trousers and a tunic; she had no desire to wear a dress today.

She grabbed the clothes out and immediately began to change, not really paying any attention to the fact that Jaime was still in the room. As she reached around to undo the ties of her ratty dress, Dimeria realized how sore she was, not to mention that the ties were extremely knotted up.

"Help me, would you?" Dimeria looked over her shoulder at Jaime, who seemed very deep in his thoughts.

"Yes, of course." He mumbled. He began working out the knots in silence when he suddenly remembered a similar situation to the one he was in now. "The last time I helped you reach behind your back...you were naked." Jaime said with a ghost of a smile.

Dimeria smiled too. "I was completely submerged in water."

"Not completely…" Jaime teased her.

"What?!" Dimeria shouted at him, looking over her shoulder in surprise.

"I'm only kidding!" Jaime said, resting a hand on her shoulder to calm her down.

Dimeria turned back around and sighed. She wasn't really angry, though she could feel her cheeks reddening in embarrassment. "I trusted you though...to wash my back."

Jaime's fingers faltered on the laces. A stab of guilt went through his stomach. "I didn't think you would." He said softly.

"But I did...I'll always trust you."

Once again, his fingers paused in their work as his eyes squeezed shut. Taking a deep breath, Jaime forced himself to finish unlacing her dress. When the back fell open, his eyes were suddenly drawn to a scar on her back; the scar from when she had been thrown into a pit with a bear. He ran his fingers gently over the slightly raised edges, drawing a tremble from Dimeria's body.

"Sorry." Jaime mumbled.

Dimeria stepped away from him to continue dressing. Jaime immediately turned his back, knowing that he should respect her privacy, but also because he was sure his guilt was more than clear on his face.

_She trusts you with her life, and you almost went back to your sister!_ Jaime's mind screamed at him. His hands trembled, fearing the moment that Dimeria would ever find out.

"I heard you, ya know." Dimeria suddenly said.

"What?" Jaime asked, fear rising in his stomach _Gods, she heard me. By the Gods, she heard me!_

"What you said when you all thought I was completely out of it." Her voice was soft with no malice in it, which was what scared Jaime...Dimeria almost never yelled when she was at her most dangerous; it was a trait of hers that Jaime had learned to love and fear.

"Dimeria, I-" He began, but Dimeria stopped him.

"You don't have to apologize."

Jaime spun around with abrupt confusion. "What?" Surprise now matched the utter terror he was feeling.

"You don't have to say sorry." Dimeria repeated. "About our fight."

"Dimeria, what are you talking about?" Jaime had absolutely no clue what she was talking about.

"I heard you crying, Lannister...and apologizing about our fight." She finally explained.

Jaime's face fell in realization then; she wasn't talking about his conversation with Varys, she was talking about the argument they had been in. Dimeria walked closer to him, looking him dead in the eyes with her magnificent blue orbs.

"When I said I don't worry about you being with other women, it's because I know you would never do that to me. I trust you, Jaime."

Gods, was Dimeria just intent on stabbing his heart out today?! Her words felt like liquid fire being poured over his body, igniting his guilt to the point of an erupting volcano. Should he tell Dimeria what he had almost done? The last time he had kept something from her had not gone well; she almost left King's Landing! But if he did tell Dimeria, there was no guarantee that she would forgive him. Hell, Jaime couldn't even forgive himself at this point!

"We're okay-the two of us." Dimeria suddenly interrupted his inner babbling. "Whatever happens...we'll be okay, right?"

Jaime should've told her; he should've knelt down and wept for Dimeria's forgiveness right then and there, but he didn't. "Of course we are, little warrior." Jaime said, enveloping her in his arms. "We'll always be okay."

…

Dimeria wasn't sure what she had been expecting. A window with velvet curtains and a nice, plush bed to sleep on? No, of course not; this was a prison cell. She had seen worse when she was in Robb Stark's camp all that time ago, but that still didn't prepare her for what she was currently looking at. Maybe it shocked her so much because it was Tyrion in the prison cell, someone that she had grown to care for and never expected to be in a dungeon.

Tyrion looked horrible, though Dimeria figured she didn't look that much better either. His curls had turned dirty and shaggy, his clothes worn down to the last few threads. A permanent scowl rested upon his scarred face, but Dimeria could detect hints of fear and despair behind his eyes. Yes, Tyrion definitely looked horrible.

"You look well." Dimeria said, betraying her forlorn observations.

Tyrion scoffed. "So do you...I especially like that gash on your head there, I bet that has an interesting story behind it."

"Not as interesting as you might expect." Dimeria smirked. Tyrion returned a sad smile at her, neither of them really knowing what to say. Dimeria had sat down against a post in the middle of the cell and was now fiddling with the sleeves of her tunic.

"Sansa's gone...if you didn't already know." She said softly.

Tyrion nodded. "You ran after her?"

"I tried to stop her but, someone was helping her and...well, now you know where the gash on my head came from." Dimeria said with a shrug.

"It's probably better for her that she got away." Tyrion said through pursed lips.

"Except it makes you look more guilty."

"Better me than her."

Dimeria narrowed her eyes. "And why would you say that?" She asked sternly.

"She's been through hell here at King's Landing, a hell that she didn't deserve. She's done nothing to be punished for Joffrey's death." Tyrion explained dismally.

"And neither have you!" Dimeria struggled to keep her voice reigned in. "You didn't kill him."

Tyrion shook his head and leaned it back on the wall he was sitting against. "Doesn't matter. Both my father and Cersei want me dead and this is the perfect excuse to kill me. I'm surprised they're even bothering to have a trial for me."

Dimeria couldn't deny his logic; she knew that his reasoning was spot on, but that didn't mean she had to like it. "I'm sorry, Tyrion." She told him.

"Why? This isn't your fault any more than it is mine." Tyrion tried to reassure her.

"Not that, it's just…" Dimeria sighed. "I've hardly spoken to you ever since you first told me who my parents were. I was so angry." Tyrion gave her a queer look.

Dimeria continued. "But it's not your fault. You were just telling me what I wanted to know ever since we first met."

A wisp of a smile appeared on Tyrion's face as he remembered the first time he ever laid eyes on the fiery Targaryen girl. "We've both come quite a long way since then, haven't we?"

"Yes." Dimeria grinned with him. "I used to think that figuring out who my parents were was the most important thing in this world. I wish I could go back to when that was my only concern." She shook her head. "Now look where I am: stuck in this damn heat with Lannisters surrounding me everywhere I go." She said with a small laugh.

"At least three of us actually like you." Tyrion joked, the smile on Dimeria's face somehow lightening the tension in his body.

"Three?" Dimeria asked, not aware of who the third person was.

"I've heard Tommen enjoys your company quite a bit."

Dimeria snorted. "He's half my age."

"That won't matter if he decides he wants you as his wife." Tyrion said.

The thought of marriage in general usually unnerved Dimeria, but the prospect of marrying the next King had her skin nearly drained of color. "I'll just have to hope that things don't go that far."

The light mood they had going disappeared, fading as both Tyrion and Dimeria pondered what their futures had in store. The question in their minds was whether or not Tyrion would even make it to the end of the next few weeks.

"Dimeria, if things don't work out...I just want you to-" Tyrion began, but Dimeria wasted no time in cutting him off.

"Don't you dare, Tyrion." She warned him with a glare. "Don't you dare try to say your goodbyes...okay?"

Tyrion only nodded in response, finding it difficult to speak while looking at the pained expression on Dimeria's face; she truly wanted him to live. Why was that so difficult for him to understand?

Dimeria allowed herself to relax slightly then, though she couldn't dispel the heartache she felt at the thought that Tyrion might die. "I should go." She told him.

"Yes, you should get some rest." Tyrion agreed softly.

She got up and walked to the door; Tyrion watched her, silently wishing that he could just follow her out of the cell. "I'll be back soon." Dimeria said before she left.

"I look forward to it."

They shared one last look of forlorning before Dimeria walked out and the door was shut behind her, leaving Tyrion alone with a nearly empty prison cell, mirroring the emptiness he was beginning to feel inside.

…

Dimeria came back from seeing Tyrion looking more drained than when Jaime had first been with her.

"Are you alright?" He asked with concern. They had found each other in the gardens just outside the castle. The sun was setting by now, making their skin look more gold than it really was.

Dimeria bobbed her in confirmation. "Yes, I'm just...sad." She said, too tired to think of a better word to describe how she was actually feeling.

"How did he seem to you?" Jaime asked, thinking about his poor little brother.

She shrugged. "As well as anyone could be for being accused of murder. I got a couple of laughs out of him."

A small smile crept onto Jaime's face. "What did you talk about?"

"We talked about when we first met at Castle Black…"

"And how annoying you used to be?" Jaime interrupted her, earning a glare from her deep, blue eyes.

"You're one to talk, Lannister." She said with narrow eyes.

"Are you saying I'm annoying?" He asked with mock-hurt.

"I'm saying you're one of the most annoying people I've ever met!"

"Oh really?" Jaime asked with a growing grin. He took a step forward, making Dimeria fully aware that he was about to exact his revenge.

"Don't you dare come near me, Lannister…" She warned as she tried to hide the smile threatening to appear on her face.

She turned to run from Jaime, but he always seemed to be one step ahead of her. He grabbed her wrist before she fled, yanking her flush against him until her back was against his chest. Wrapping one arm around her torso and the other across her chest, Jaime held her tightly until Dimeria stopped struggling within his grasp.

"This is exactly what I mean by annoying." Dimeria said with a laugh.

"Well, you brought it upon yourself, little warrior." Jaime murmured against her ear. A shiver traveled down Dimeria's body as he did so, something that Jaime was all too aware of.

And even though Dimeria claimed that what Jaime was doing was annoying, she didn't even try to escape his grasp; it was extremely comfortable being wrapped in his arms the way she was. It suddenly didn't matter to either of the warriors that they were in the middle of the gardens and that someone could possibly find them, though it was highly unlikely since the sun had fully set by now and the moon was making its ascent into the night sky. Jaime's arms relaxed around Dimeria's body and were now simply wrapped her waist, holding her to him even though she would've gladly stayed like that for the rest of her life.

"I missed you, little warrior." He whispered as he began nuzzling her neck and ear and inhaling her sweet scent.

"I missed you too, Jaime." Dimeria said as she leaned further into his body. She was slightly curious as to why he was being so affectionate all of a sudden, but she didn't exactly have a problem with it; she definitely missed being around him as much as he seemed to miss being around her.

But it was so much more than that for Jaime; he could've lost her. For four days he hadn't known her whereabouts or if he would ever see her again; it was almost as if he needed to make up for the days they were away from each other.

_Or you're just feeling guilty about almost kissing Cersei…_ Jaime's conscience whispered to him.

He fought away to turge to tense his muscles that way he wouldn't alert Dimeria, and instead placed a sweet kiss just behind her ear in order to elicit a light sigh from her soft lips. He loosened his arms around her waist and turned Dimeria around to face him. Leaning his forehead against hers, Jaime rested his hands on her hips and gently stroked his thumbs back and forth.

"I wish we could stay like this forever." He whispered to Dimeria.

"And forget about the world?" She asked.

"Yes."

Dimeria sighed and wrapped her arms around Jaime's neck. "Me too."

How long they stayed like that, they didn't know, but it didn't seem to matter to them. After everything they had been through, all they wanted was to be with each other and not worry about all the shit that was hitting the fan in King's Landing.

"It's getting late." Dimeria whispered after a while.

"And?" Jaime asked.

A light chuckle sounded from Dimeria. "We should be getting back."

Jaime sighed and removed his hands from Dimeria's waist, standing up straight once more. He could see the gash poking out from her hairline at full height, and felt a twinge of anger towards the person who had harmed her. Side by side they walked back into the castle, their shoulders brushing against each other so often that Jaime just grabbed Dimeria's hand as they continued on. She looked up at him inquisitively, but received no explanation as to why he was clinging to her hand they way he was.

Before long they reached Dimeria's chambers, though Jaime still didn't release her hand when they walked in.

"I can't exactly sleep with you holding my hand, Lannister." Dimeria said as she sent him a curious look.

"I don't want to leave you alone." He said softly, yet sternly.

Dimeria furrowed her brows. "Lannister, I'm fine. I'm in the keep, I have my sword in here; if anything happens I can take care of myself. Besides, whoever attacked me probably escaped with Sansa Stark; they're long gone." She reassured him, but Jaime's face only seemed to get drawn into a deeper frown.

Something was obviously on Jaime's mind, but Dimeria just couldn't quite tell what it was he was thinking. "What's really going on here, Jaime?" She asked him seriously.

What was going on? Why was Jaime so afraid for Dimeria? He knew better than most people that she was more than capable of protecting herself, yet he still didn't want to let her out of his sight. Was he really terrified for her, or was there something more to it? Part of Jaime just wanted to be reassured that he wasn't going to lose Dimeria again, but the other part, the part he was unwilling to confront, just felt guilty. Guilty for nearly going back to his sister when Dimeria had gone missing, and that guilt was driving him to be as close to Dimeria as possible, as if it would somehow make up for almost kissing Cersei.

But Jaime couldn't bring himself to confess all of that to Dimeria, not at this point in time anyway. He walked closer to Dimeria, bringing his hands up to caress her cheeks. He gently grazed his finger over the gash on her head and then placed a soft kiss upon it before speaking:

"I thought I lost you, Dimeria. All those days of not knowing where you were or if you were even alive killed me. I can't stand the thought of you not being with me, I need you. I need to know you're always going to be be here." Jaime said, his voice nearly cracking from emotion.

Jaime had since then leaned his forehead against Dimeria's again and had kept his eyes closed the whole time he had been speaking. Dimeria hated seeing Jaime talk like this; it pained her almost as much as it pained him to speak with such sadness and pain in his voice. Her heart felt strained with aching pity for Jaime; all she wanted to do was help ease the pain Jaime had gone through while she had been missing not only to make him feel better, but to get rid of the awkward feeling she had whenever she was forced to deal with emotions.

"I'm not going anywhere, Jaime. I promise." She ran her hands up his chest and to his shoulders. "Stay with me tonight...in here. Okay?"

The battle-hardened warrior visibly relaxed and let out a breath he had been holding for too long. Being led by several emotions that had also been bottled up for too long and needed release, Jaime suddenly pressed his lips against Dimeria's, pouring every single feeling into it.

Despite the fact that he caught her off guard, Dimeria still responded immediately. She wrapped her arms around Jaime's neck and stood up on her toes, deepening the kiss as she allowed Jaime further entrance into her mouth. Strong, muscled arms wrapped around her waist, pushing her body as close as possible to Jaime's. A soft moan escaped Dimeria's mouth and before she knew it, Jaime had spun her up against the wall, pinning her in place as his hands ran up and down her sides intimately.

Dimeria's mind was in a whirl, never before had Jaime kissed her like this. Never had she sensed such desire and need within him before. The intensity of it frightened her, yet at the same time ignited an infernal yearning within her that only Jaime could extinguish; only Jaime could satisfy what it was she was looking for.

Their lips and tongue battled each other furiously. Jaime's hands never stopped wandering over Dimeria's body; up and down her sides, trailing just under her breasts, until settling on her backside...and then the whole thing would start all over again, setting her skin on fire over and over. It wasn't the horrid burning that she had experienced back when Locke's men had violated her, but a burning passion of want and need. Gods, Dimeria just **needed** Jaime to touch her wherever he could.

A slight bite from Jaime on Dimeria's bottom lip drew a gasp from her mouth as her fingers twisted and knotted through Jaime's hair. Her body was a bundle of nerves that needed to explode and the more that Jaime's experienced lips moved over hers, the further and further she fell into the deep, pleasurable abyss of desire.

Every reaction Dimeria had to Jaime spurred him on even more. Each shiver of pleasure, each moan of desire, and each sigh of absolute satisfaction made Jaime want to give her even more gratification. The open mouthed gasp Dimeria released as he bit down on her bottom lip was the perfect opportunity for him to move away from her mouth, trailing kisses on her cheek and down her neck.

"Jaime…" He heard Dimeria breathlessly whisper his name, tilting her head back and giving him more access to her neck.

Gods, Jaime needed this. He needed to prove to Dimeria, and to himself that he loved her and would do anything for her. His sister was a mistake; all he cared about was his life with Dimeria, and this was one of the only way he could think to show it to Dimeria.

"Jaime." Dimeria murmured again as Jaime continued nipping at her neck. He continued caressing her neck with his lips, gripping her hips tightly to hold her even closer. Letting go of all the guilt that had been eating at his mind, Jaime allowed the sensual instincts he had built up over the years to fully take over. His mind began fraying black at the edges as his body became a vessel, a conduit that only allowed pleasure and feeling.

"Jaime...wait…" Dimeria mumbled, though Jaime struggled to even hear her. Daring to go even further, Jaime moved down to her collarbone, grinning in satisfaction as he heard Dimeria's sharp intake of breath.

"Lannister...stop!" Dimeria said more forcefully, shocking Jaime away from her. He gave her an odd look, not completely understanding why she had stopped him since his mind was still in a lust-filled haze. "I can't, Jaime." Dimeria said breathlessly. "I'm sorry."

The tone of Dimeria's voice had a sobering effect on Jaime and he suddenly felt exhausted and once again extremely guilty. "Don't be sorry, Dimeria." He said as he pulled her into an embrace that was void of any sexual desire; just comfort. "Don't ever be sorry for that."

With fatigue heavily settling into their bodies, both Jaime and Dimeria laid down for the night; Jaime holding Dimeria close as she rested her against his chest. Within minutes they drifted off into one of the most comfortable rests either of them had ever experienced, wishing that when they woke up, everything could be just as peaceful.


	50. Chapter 51

_**A/N: **_**My goodness it's been a while! Okay, I'm gonna get straight to thanking my reviewers. Thank you IrwinsBabygirl, Bella-swan11, Misskymm, shika93, lunerusso, ladyres, Spanglepants, ZabuzasGirl, and ****Sarah(Guest)!**

**Untilweburnout: Dimeria's white hair is in a certain strand, kind of like where her bangs would be. Look up Stacey London...she has a gray strand of hair and Dimeria's is like hers but obviously white and it's bigger and more noticeable.**

**lisamariem: Thank you so much for reading it in one sitting! I do that all the time with other stories :) And also, I'm really glad you noticed that they've never said 'I love you', I've made sure that I kept it that way and I'm happy that someone picked up on it!**

* * *

Dimeria awoke with a warm blanket in the form of Jaime Lannister wrapped around her body. The actual blankets of her bed were thrown over their bodies, Jaime's arms were wound securely around her, and her head was tucked into his neck; his head gently resting on hers. As reluctant as she was to disturb the peaceful scene, Dimeria could feel the mounting tension in her body as her muscles got the urge to shift. Slowly and carefully, Dimeria risked turning in Jaime's arms, but quickly sighed as she felt his arms shift with her as she woke him up.

"Sorry…" She murmured as she turned to face him.

Jaime lazily opened his eyes, bringing a grin to Dimeria's face. "I was already awake anyway." He said, a sleepy rasp still in his voice.

A soft laugh escaped Dimeria's mouth as she allowed herself to snuggle a little more into Jaime's arms.

"You jerk in your sleep, did you know that?" Jaime suddenly asked. "And talk."

Dimeria furrowed her brows. "I do?"

Jaime nodded. "You mostly mumble, so I couldn't really understand you."

Returning back to her old habit, Dimeria began biting her lip; she never knew that she ever talked in her sleep.

"Do you remember what you dreamt?"

She thought back for a moment. "No, not really. I didn't know I did that."

"You never did it when we were on the road; it must be a fairly recent thing."

"Hm…" She said thoughtfully.

They lay quietly for a few moments, trying to ignore the sunlight that was beginning to stream in through Dimeria's window. Gods, Dimeria did not want to get up. Who knew what she would be walking into if she left her room? She had been unconscious for a long time, surely many things had happened while she had been gone.

"We need to get up." Jaime said; his tone of voice matching the dismal thoughts in Dimeria's mind. "My father is going to want to speak to you with the rest of the Small Council about what happened."

Climbing from the comfort of Dimeria's bed, they both readied themselves for the day, though Jaime was really just waiting for Dimeria to dress since he had none of his possessions in the room.

A knock suddenly sounded on the door, startling both Dimeria and Jaime. "M'lady!?" Two chipper voices called.

"Seven hells…" Dimeria mumbled under her breath as she realized her handmaidens were back. She spun around to Jaime. "Uh, get under the bed." She whispered urgently.

"Excuse me?" Surprise wracked Jaime's mind.

"My handmaidens can't know you slept here." Dimeria explained.

"Why? It's not like we did anything." He said indignantly.

Dimeria glared dangerously. "Just do it, Lannister." She nearly growled at him. She turned before she could actually witness Jaime hiding, but didn't miss the exaggerated sigh and could nearly sense him rolling his eyes.

With a deep breath for preparation, Dimeria took strong steps of determination to her door. She only cracked the door open enough to poke her head through; Dimeria did not want to risk either of her handmaidens seeing Jaime.

"M'lady!" Both handmaidens breathed out as soon as they saw Dimeria. And despite the fact that it took every ounce of willpower in her body, Dimeria offered the two girls a very small smile.

"Hello…" She muttered weakly.

"Is something wrong?" One handmaiden asked, wondering as to why Dimeria wouldn't let them in. "Why did you not call for us yesterday when you woke up?"

Dimeria pinched the bridge of her nose. "I didn't need your help; I was well taken care of, I assure you." She said with a sigh.

Both handmaidens looked at each other skeptically, but had learned through experience not to argue with Dimeria. "Well…" The second handmaiden said, "we're ready to help you today."

"No." Dimeria objected immediately. "I-I don't need your help."

"But-" The two girls barely got a word in before Dimeria cut them off.

"I said no. Just leave." She said firmly.

Without another word, her handmaidens twitched down the hallway as Dimeria turned and leaned against her door with a heavy sigh. A throbbing had begun in her head where her injury was. If it weren't so tender, she would've tried to rub the ache away.

"Well that was interesting." Jaime said, emerging from under Dimeria's bed.

"Shut up, Lannister." Dimeria snapped.

Jaime smirked. "Why are you so worried about them seeing me, anyway? He asked Dimeria.

"Why are you not worried?" She retorted.

Jaime only shrugged. "I guess I like the idea of not having to hide. It's different for me."

Dimeria sighed once again. It not only shocked, but somewhat disgusted Dimeria how much Jaime used to care for Cersei in _that_ way. She knew that deep down Jaime had never wanted to hide his feelings for Cersei; he didn't like living in the shadows that way. And now...what did he want? An actual relationship? The more Dimeria thought about it, it seemed like all Jaime wanted was a normal life. But he was a Lannister, the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, and Dimeria? She was a bastard-a Targaryen bastard at that-and was simply a guard for the Lannisters. There wasn't a whole lot more she could offer, yet Jaime seemed to want more from her.

The pounding started up again, much worse than it had been moments ago. Dimeria decided not ponder the matter any longer; she had much more important things awaiting her attention.

"We should go...wouldn't want to keep the Small Council waiting too long."

…

"You're saying Sansa Stark had an accomplice?" Mace Tyrell questioned Dimeria with surprise.

"Yes." Dimeria pushed the response out through gritted teeth. Not long after Dimeria's handmaidens had scampered away, Dimeria and Jaime both made their way to the Small Council, knowing that they would eventually be summoned. Dimeria began recounting her tale in full detail, biting back the instinct to snap at the Small Council members every time they interrupted. She had already been there for what felt like hours and she hadn't even gotten to the part where someone had attacked her unexpectedly.

"Who was helping her?" Mace Tyrell asked.

"The man helping her was the King's fool...I don't know why he would be assisting Sansa, though." Dimeria said with a sigh.

Varys finally spoke up for the first time since Dimeria had begun telling her tale; Dimeria knew it was because he had already heard most of it already. "Lady Sansa was the one who saved the King's fool in the first place. Had it not been for her, he would be dead."

"As it turns out," Tywin Lannister spoke up, "he is dead."

Dimeria's eyes flashed angrily towards the eldest Lannister. "Why have you not said anything until now?" She snapped at him.

"I was waiting to see if your story lined up." Tywin said dangerously.

"And does it?" Dimeria dared to ask.

"So far." He confirmed. "Please continue, Lady Dimeria."

Dimeria continued to glare petulantly at Tywin, wanting to ask him what happened to the now deceased fool of the King, but decided that it would be safer to continue on with her story. And so she began speaking again, capturing the attention of everyone in the room, including Tywin Lannister who never seemed to be interested in anything other than his own troubles. A gasp escaped the pathetic mouth of Mace Tyrell, while the ridiculously old Maester nodded as Dimeria recounted how the mystery attacker knocked her unconscious with some form of poison and a blow to the head.

"The traces of poison left on Lady Dimeria were too faint to be identified, but from the effects that I observed, it seemed to be some sort of paralytic."

The desperate need to roll her eyes at Pycelle nearly killed Dimeria as she resisted the urge. With a sigh, Dimeria began speaking again; telling everyone that the poison was indeed a paralytic, for she eventually woke up, but could not move whatsoever.

"That was how my men found her the other day." Jaime spoke up from the his position at the door.

After finally arriving at the end of her story, Dimeria decided to search for her own answers. "What happened to the King's fool?" She asked.

All those present in the room shifted nervously as they looked to Tywin Lannister for confirmation that it was okay to tell Dimeria what happened.

"He was found dead in a boat in Blackwater Bay." Tywin answered himself.

"How was he killed?" She asked.

"Shot with an arrow."

"And?"

"And what?"

Dimeria narrowed her eyes. "There's more you're not telling me."

Tywin Lannister smirked; a glimmer of admiration glinted within his icy blue eyes at the fact that Dimeria instinctively knew he was keeping something from her, though it disappeared within a second. He produced a necklace suddenly from some hidden pocket in his attire and placed it on the table. "This was found with his body."

Dimeria stared at the necklace lined with little teal charms, though one seemed to have been broken or fallen off. "Sansa was wearing that at the wedding."

"Yes." Tywin said. "Maester Pycelle found plenty of poison within this broken charm here." He said, pointing at the broken piece on the jewelry.

"I assume it's the same poison found on Joffrey's body." Dimeria stated, drawing a disapproving sigh from Maestery Pycelle and Mace Tyrell as she neglected to use Joffrey's proper title, though Tywin hardly seemed to care.

"You assume correctly." Tywin said with a nod. "Which provides irrefutable evidence that Sansa Stark is the one who poisoned Joffrey."

Dimeria narrowed her eyes. "Then why is Lord Tyrion the one imprisoned?"

"He's an accomplice, of course." Tywin said without falter. "He was the one serving him wine, how else could the poison have gotten in the cup?"

A sigh escaped Dimeria's mouth. There was no way she could argue with the evidence that had been discovered, but she couldn't believe that Tyrion and Sansa had been the ones to murder Joffrey. She wisely kept her mouth shut, knowing that to argue would only make her look like she was in league with Tyrion; and there was no way she could help free him if she was in prison herself.

"I guess you have all your answers then, don't you?" She said blandly.

"It seems to be that way. None the less, we will be holding a trial." Tywin stated, though Dimeria picked up on the disappointed tone; it was obvious that he just wanted to be rid of his own son as quickly as possible. Dimeria pursed her lips in disgust.

"What does the rest of the Small Council have to say about Lady's Dimeria story?" Tywin asked suddenly.

Varys was the first to speak. "It seems she is speaking the truth, though it is a shame she was not able to see who her attacker was."

The rest of the Small Council nodded in agreement, though Tywin really didn't care what they had to say. "Good. You will resume guarding King Tommen, Lady Dimeria-once you are well, of course. Although I doubt it will take long for you to recover."

Dimeria nodded in confirmation knowing that he wasn't saying so as a vote of confidence for her, but rather as an order that she better get back to work right away. Tywin got up from the table then. "You are all dismissed."

Everyone stood from their chairs, all of them leaving the chamber quietly; except for Pycelle who noisily shuffled out into the hallway. Jaime and Dimeria immediately fell into step together, both of them much more relaxed now that the Small Council meeting was over and done with. Dimeria normally didn't mind walking in silence with Jaime, but she could sense something was amiss this time.

"You're quiet, Lannister." She stated.

"Just thinking." He responded after a moment.

"About?"

Jaime cringed as Dimeria pressed him for information. What was he supposed to tell her? _Oh, I'm just thinking about how I almost kissed my bitch of a sister, how about you?_

No, absolutely not, but he had to tell her at some point; the guilt was beginning to eat him alive.

"Jaime?" Dimeria called his attention back.

Jaime's heart began pounding. Gods, he didn't want to admit the truth, but he knew deep down that if he didn't tell her himself, she would be gone from his life forever. Hell, she might be gone from his life even if he did tell her himself.

"We've always been honest with each other…" Jaime said, dancing around the subject.

Dimeria immediately thought about how Jaime never told her who she truly was, but she said nothing of it. "Yes." She said warily.

Jaime sighed; it was now or never. "Then I need to be honest with you now."

The both of them came to a stop in the hallway they had been walking through. Much to Jaime's comfort, the hallway was completely void of any people at the the moment.

"Okay." Dimeria said. Did she truly want to hear what Jaime was about to tell her? Something was obviously bothering him...what was it?

Jaime's brow was furrowed with anxiety as he clenched his fists nervously. "When you were missing," he began, "I...well I-" Jaime sighed. Gods, this was difficult. "I was in the Sept with Joffrey's body and…"

He stopped again, looking into Dimeria's expectant eyes. She was so beautiful he could hardly stand it. Dimeria didn't deserve to be lied to; he had to tell her. "I almost kissed Cersei." He spat out in a breathless whisper.

Dimeria's face fell into an unreadable expression. Blue eyes stared into desperate green orbs, yet no words were spoken. Hearts pounded and fists were clenched, yet neither of them made a move toward each other. Mouths released inaudible breaths and stomachs held anxious butterflies, but both Jaime and Dimeria seemed to be suspended in a timeless bubble that was impenetrable. Neither warrior knew how long they stood staring at each other, but both of them were too afraid to move. Dimeria was the first to break eye contact, looking down at her feet and biting her lip, but as soon as she did so, a voice shattered the silence that had encapsulated Jaime and Dimeria.

"Dimeria!" An astoundingly joyous voice drifted into Dimeria's ears, drawing her gaze down the hall to spot Tommen with a huge smile painted upon his face. Returning a forced smile back to the young King, Dimeria sent one last indecipherable look towards Jaime and walked to meet Tommen; leaving Jaime in an unending state of despair and uncertainty.

…

Tommen couldn't even describe the joy he felt when he had heard that Dimeria had been found and was now awake. As soon as he heard the news he set about looking for her despite the fact that he had been told multiple times not to roam the castle for his own safety. His happiness was doubled when he finally discovered her speaking with his Uncle Jaime. Gods, she was just as radiant as ever! He called out to her, excitement rimming his voice to the point where he should have been embarrassed, but he didn't even care; he was just so thrilled to see her alive and well!

They walked through the gardens together, filling each other in on what had happened over the past few days. Exhaustion rimmed Dimeria's eyes, but she could not bring herself to be angry with young Tommen even as she retold her story for what felt like the thousandth time. Tommen hung on to every word she said and nearly jumped with excitement when Dimeria informed him that she would once again be his guard. The newly appointed King could have walked with Dimeria for hours, ignoring her sighs of exhaustion and the dark circles under her eyes that begged for rest; he just wanted spend as much time with her as possible.

But Dimeria had other ideas. She knew Tommen didn't mean any harm, but she had more important things on her mind and after what Jaime had just told her…

No. She wouldn't think about that yet; she couldn't bear it. All she wanted was to get a little bit of rest before she resumed her job of guarding the castle that night. Dimeria felt extremely drained for some odd reason; perhaps it had something to do with whatever restless dreams she had had the night before that caused her to kick out in her sleep. She suddenly tuned back into what Tommen was saying, realizing that she had been blocking him out for several minutes.

"I'm sorry, Your Grace, but I think I should return to my chambers. I'm feeling strangely...tired." She said with a sigh.

Tommen's face fell with disappointment. "Shall I walk you to your quarters?"

"No, return to your room." Dimeria said. "You need to stay safe at times like this."

And with that Dimeria turned away from him, closing her eyes in relief as she finally escaped to her solitude. Fortune was on her side as Dimeria encountered no one on her way back to her chambers to avoid the world around her. Rest would surely return vigor and strength back to her body, but she knew she couldn't truly rid herself of all her problems; hiding in her room was just a way to steer clear of them. She collapsed onto her bed with a heaving sigh and quickly fell asleep to the sound of a hot breeze stirring the curtains in her room.

...

After Dimeria had retreated back to her room, Tommen quietly walked back to his own chambers, sulking along the way. Night crept into King's Landing like a lurking spider stalking it's prey, bringing an odd hush to the normally bustling city. The air was still, though Tommen still felt goosebumps raising up on his skin from what felt like a chilly breeze. He tossed and turned restlessly in his bed, struggling to find a comfortable position both under and on top of his blankets. The nights had been long and eerie ever since his brother had been murdered; not because he missed his brother, but because Tommen was slowly beginning to realize that his life might be the one in danger now. Being the new King certainly did have it's advantages, but when the sun went down and the doting servants took their leave, Tommen was left with emptiness and dark whispers of evil that threatened him now that he was in power. Even with the four guards his mother demanded be stationed at his door, Tommen still felt rather uneasy on some nights.

Sitting up in his bed, Tommen blankly stared at his drifting curtain when he suddenly heard muffled noises coming from his door.

"Ser Pounce?" He called quietly for his cat. His heart began to speed up at a steady pace. Nothing appeared for a few moments. Tommen's heartbeat increased even more. Was he imagining things? "Hello?" He spoke out through the darkness.

Nothing. He shook his head; he was _sure_ he heard something. Tommen's heart seemed to be beating through his chest now. Should he risk getting up to see if anything was out there? Just as he plucked up enough courage to investigate, the mysterious intruder appeared. Tommen's heart nearly ceased beating with surprise.

"L-lady Margaery?" Tommen choked out. _Margaery Tyrell?! What on earth is she doing here?! _"How did you get past the Kingsguard?" Tommen really was surprised she made it in his room. He realized then that Dimeria must not have been on duty, or else Margaery would have never made it through the door.

Margaery only gave a secretive smile and a slight shrug of her shoulders in response to Tommen's question. Tommen felt his stomach flip in anxiety. "I don't think you're supposed to be here. Mother doesn't allow me to have visitors at night."

"I'm not a visitor, Your Grace." Margaery said in her customary sing-song voice as she sat down on Tommen's bed. Tommen felt his muscles relax at the kindness he heard in just a few words. "Word has it I'm to be your bride."

Tommen furrowed his brows. When had that been decided? Margaery was beautiful; Tommen was quickly beginning to realize that she was even prettier up close, but she was not who he had in mind for his future bride…

"Did you know that people in arranged marriages often never meet until their wedding day?" The alluring Tyrell girl interrupted Tommen's musings. "Before we spend our lives together, we ought to get to know one another. Don't you think?" She asked him sweetly.

There it was again; that assumption that they were getting married. Tommen wasn't entirely sure how he felt about the proposed marriage, but he supposed it wasn't the worst match he could have been put in. Perhaps he would enjoy getting to know Lady Margaery.

"Yes." He said in agreement with her.

"So, Your Grace." Margaery looked at Tommen through her long lashes. "Tell me something about yourself." She shifted closer to Tommen on the bed.

Tommen's heart leapt up to his throat. Why was she sitting so close to him? He couldn't find it within himself to complain; there was something unnerving, yet exciting about Margaery Tyrell. He found himself staring into her large eyes, detecting something rather mischievous within their depths. A sudden commotion from his door startled him out of his stupor. Both he and Margaery jumped and turned to look towards the entrance.

_Dimeria!_ Tommen realized with a smile. She was back in her normal warrior attire, a worn tunic and breeches with a sword at her hip.

"Lady Margaery." Dimeria said with suspicion. "Are you lost?"

Tommen felt Margaery stiffen at his side. He realized with sudden embarrassment that Dimeria greatly disapproved of Margaery being in his chambers this late at night.

"No, Lady Dimeria." Margaery said with what Tommen thought was forced sweetness. "I was paying His Grace a visit; a condolence call for the loss of his older brother."

"This late at night?" Dimeria said with a disbelieving smirk. "I don't think so."

Had Tommen not been aware of the glare passing between Margaery and Dimeria, he would've passed off the situation as nothing more than an awkward accident, but he could tell there were harsh feelings between the two of them.

"I think you should leave." Dimeria said to Margaery. "The King needs his rest."

An angry huff left Margaery's nostrils and without so much as another look at Tommen, she got up and stalked out of the room. Tommen watched as Dimeria moved out of Margaery's way to ensure that she left the room. Dimeria turned to look back at Tommen and he could nearly feel the disapproval she was radiating towards him. Neither spoke for several moments until Dimeria simply sighed and looked down at the ground.

"Get some rest, Tommen." She turned around. "And if she comes in here again without permission...tell me."

She didn't stay long enough for Tommen to respond, but once she left the room, Tommen finally felt exhaustion envelop him for the first time that night. He didn't have any trouble falling asleep after that confrontation.

* * *

**Is it bad that I enjoyed putting Tommen through that awkward situation? Oh well! Remember to review! Again, I love hearing from reviewers I've never seen before :)**

**Until next time...**


	51. Chapter 52

_**A/N: I'm back! Okay, so I accidentally deleted a chapter from the story instead of a document from my Doc Manager and it was a very frustrating ordeal because I had to go through and reorder all of the chapters, but I think I got all of it figured out; the chapter numbers will just be off from now on I think. Anyway, now that I fixed that...Here's a new chapter! (I'm gonna go take a bubble bath to relieve stress because this whole thing got me unnecessarily freaked out)**_

* * *

"If I had wanted to sit in silence, I would have told the guards not to let any visitors in." Tyrion snapped at Dimeria.

Dimeria blinked up at his angry comment, shaking away her silent stupor as she did so. After checking in on her dragons for the first time that morning since she had gone missing, Dimeria decided to pay a visit to Tyrion to tell him what had happened at the Small Council meeting. Not only this, but she also had every intention to tell Tyrion of what Jaime had confessed to her. Now that she was faced with the opportunity, she found that each word was frozen in her mouth.

"I wanted to talk to you about something." She muttered quietly, still deep in thought as she sat up against a cold, damp wall.

"Yet you've said nothing." Tyrion said bitterly. Gods, staying in a jail cell had made him even grumpier than he had been before.

Dimeria freely glared at Tyrion, knowing that one look would be enough to tell Tyrion that something was really bothering her.

Tyrion sighed in acknowledgment. "What is it?"

"Jaime told me that-" A pained expression crossed her face. "He told me that he almost kissed Cersei while I was missing." She rushed the words out as quickly as possible.

Disgust and disappointment slammed into Tyrion's gut. "Gods, we all know I'm the smart one in the family...he doesn't have to go around proving me right!" He said with frustration. He looked pitifully at Dimeria with sorrow etched into her eyes. "He didn't actually do it though, right?"

"No...he said 'almost'." Dimeria mumbled with irritation.

"Well, that's better than him actually doing it." Tyrion said, offering Dimeria some sort of silver lining.

Dimeria snorted derisively. "I suppose." She paused for a moment, furrowing her eyebrows. "I just don't understand why!" She exclaimed.

Tyrion shrugged. "His son had just died." Dimeria sent him a disbelieving look. "As much as you don't want to hear it, Joffrey was his son...and Cersei's. I think deep down Jaime has always just wanted some sense of normalcy, especially after being labeled the Kingslayer." Tyrion said.

"And he thinks he'll find a sense of normalcy with his own _sister?!_" Dimeria said angrily.

"For a very long time, Cersei _was_ normal for him. It wasn't until he met you that things started changing for him." Tyrion explained to her.

Dimeria pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling mounting tension beginning to build up into a headache. She hated that Tyrion was actually making sense. "That doesn't give him an excuse." Dimeria griped petulantly.

"No, but it allows you to understand." Tyrion countered easily.

"Understand what?!" Dimeria was determined not to allow Tyrion to find a way to justify this for Jaime, but it seemed that he was doing a much better job than Dimeria at the moment.

"What Jaime and Cersei had may have been wrong, but as far as Jaime's concerned; it was real. You can't just get rid of something like that in the blink of an eye." Dimeria rolled her eyes at Tyrion. "Don't roll your eyes at me!" He demanded.

Dimeria turned her gaze back to Tyrion, furrowing her brows in surprise at the fact that he had snapped at her that way. Tyrion sighed and rested his head back against the wall. This was not what he wanted to be dealing with at the moment, but he felt as if it were his duty for some odd reason.

"Look, you went missing and were presumed dead by most people." Tyrion tried to break the situation down into simpler terms. "Jaime panicked. He didn't like the feeling of losing someone as important to him as you are, so he went back to what he knew...which just so happens to be Cersei."

It took a moment for Tyrion's words to be digested by Dimeria, for she tried her hardest to fight the logic in them, but she just couldn't. "So you're saying I should just forget about this and forgive Jaime?"

Tyrion shrugged. "I'm saying you should try to understand where he's coming from. It makes things a lot simpler."

Dimeria snorted. "That's what you think."

"Trust me, I would rather be dealing with relationship issues instead of being in prison." Tyrion said.

Dimeria nearly smacked her forehead for how inconsiderate she was being. "I'm sorry, Tyrion."

"Don't be. It's a welcome distraction from my misery." He said with a humorless chuckle.

"The trial is in a week, isn't it?" She asked somberly.

Tyrion nodded. "Mace Tyrell, Oberyn Martell, and my own father are to be my judges."

Dimeria flinched at the mention of Oberyn Martell; she hadn't paid him any mind since she had woken up. She hadn't even realized he was still in the city! Thank the Gods she hadn't run into him, he would've made her already constant headache even worse.

"Why Oberyn Martell?" She asked curiously.

"I suspect it's some lame attempt my father made to form some sort of alliance between the Lannisters and Martells." Tyrion said as if it were obvious. Dimeria had always been impressed with Tyrion's politically attuned mind, especially since she had absolutely no understanding of politics herself.

What would happen to the world if Tyrion were found guilty and killed? He was one of the few people that served the realm and not just himself. Not only that, but he was one of Dimeria's true friends; she would do anything to keep him alive.

"You're not going to die, Tyrion." She spoke out suddenly. "I won't let it happen."

Tyrion smiled sadly. "I'm afraid you don't have much of a choice."

…

Dimeria's conversation with Tyrion didn't seem to help her whatsoever. Yes, it gave her some perspective like Tyrion said it would, but it did not bring her to make any sort of decision. Should she have felt relieved after venting to him? Should she have left the prison cell feeling determined and elated that she now knew what to do with the situation? Well, she didn't; all she felt was...tired. Exhausted was a better word for it. She had experienced strange dreams the night before, but could only recall quick flashes of them. No doubt they had something to do with whoever knocked her out, or maybe even what Jaime had confessed to her. All Dimeria knew was that they had drained her like a well during a drought.

Roaring applause shocked Dimeria out of her tiring thoughts. Tommen's coronation flew by as Dimeria swam within her own mind, and a shining crown now sat upon his head. He sat in the throne made completely of molten down swords, smiling giddily at all who were in attendance. Dimeria stood by him protectively, though in the back of her mind she was wondering how that hideous throne made of swords could possibly be comfortable. She suddenly saw Tommen offer up a small, awkward smile towards someone at the other side of the throne room.

"Dimeria?" He called for her attention softly.

"Yes?"

"What do you think they're talking about?" Tommen asked her.

Dimeria furrowed her brows. "Who?"

Tommen subtly nodded towards the upper level of the throne room. "My mother and Lady Margaery."

Following Tommen's gaze to the upper hallway, Dimeria spotted both Cersei and Margaery in deep conversation. Dimeria knew how conniving both women could be and suddenly felt a slight shiver crawl up and down her spine. "I don't know." Dimeria answered Tommen honestly. "Why do you ask?"

Tommen looked away from his mother and Margaery. "It's just something Lady Margaery said the other night." He answered distractedly.

"When she was in your room?" Disapproval practically seeped from Dimeria's mouth.

He nodded. "She said that...that she and I were to be husband and wife."

Dimeria could not mask the surprise on her face. When had that pairing been decided? And so soon after Joffrey's death. Dimeria knew that Margaery and Joffrey had no true feelings for each other, but didn't Margaery know how suspicious it looked for her to be marrying king after king? A snort nearly escaped Dimeria's mouth. No doubt Margaery had no issue with what people thought of her; as long as she was Queen, nothing and no one else mattered.

"Is that what you want?" Dimeria asked Tommen.

"I...I haven't really given it much thought." The young King stuttered nervously. It seemed as if he was just as inexperienced about the subject of marriage as Dimeria was.

"Well, you are the King." Dimeria said. "It seems to me that you would be the one to have the final say when it comes to who you marry."

"Do you think so?" Tommen asked with wide eyes filled with hope.

Dimeria smiled at him. "Yes. You should listen to what your advisors have to say about certain matches, but in the end, you have the power to choose who you want."

The young boy seemed to take heart in what Dimeria said and seemed much more relieved. Proud of herself for reassuring Tommen, for she had never truly been good at comforting others, Dimeria allowed herself to smile even more. Her happiness was cut short, however, when she caught the eye of a certain Dornish Prince, staring at her from the back of the chamber.

Dimeria sighed and ground her teeth together. _May as well get this over with sooner rather than later__…_ She thought to herself. Once again, she felt a strange rush of anxiety and exhilaration as she thought about confronting Oberyn Martell. Excusing herself quietly, Dimeria made her way to the back of the large crowd that had gathered.

"Lady Dimeria." Oberyn greeted with a sly smirk.

"Oberyn." Dimeria returned the greeting, dropping all formalities.

"It is good to see you up and walking. Most of us feared the next time we laid eyes on you, it would only be your body; though I must say: that is not exactly displeasing to the eye." Oberyn raked his eyes up and down Dimeria's form as she stifled to urge to cover up as much as possible.

"Where is your, uh-what do you call Ellaria...your-"

"Paramour?" Oberyn chuckled. "She is enjoying the company I left her in, I can assure you." He said vaguely, leaving the imagery up to Dimeria's imagination. "I figured I should be present for the coronation of the new King...for political appearances, you understand."

Truth be told, Dimeria did not understand. Come to think of it, Dimeria didn't even understand why Oberyn always felt the need to talk to her, but she figured it would be better not to ask him why; she had no desire to know what his innermost thoughts were.

"I was actually rather surprised to see that you were still in King's Landing, especially after such a horrible tragedy and all during the wedding." Dimeria said.

"I had not been planning on staying in this shit of a city, excuse my language," Oberyn said, though he really couldn't have cared less if Dimeria was offended by his language or not. "but, Lord Tywin Lannister requested my presence as a judge for his son's trial."

"So I've heard."

"You do not approve, Lady Dimeria?" Oberyn asked, reading the malice within her deep, blue eyes.

"Do you really expect me to approve of someone who wants my friend executed?" Dimeria snapped bitterly.

Oberyn simply grinned. "It is not I who wishes Lord Tyrion dead. I am simply fulfilling the duties Lord Tywin has asked of me, which is to judge whether or not I think his son is guilty."

Dimeria did not answer, but continued openly glaring at the man.

"You care for the imp very deeply, don't you?" Oberyn asked with an amused glint in his eye. "Though not in the same way you care for his older brother."

Searing heat scalded Dimeria's cheeks. "That's none of your concern."

"I believe it was my concern when Ser Jaime Lannister threatened me at the Late King Joffrey's wedding." Oberyn countered sharply.

Dimeria bit her lip in frustration. "What point are you trying to make exactly?"

"It is as I said before, Lady Dimeria; you may want to reconsider who it is you're working for and the people you surround yourself with." Oberyn's gaze drifted over Dimeria's shoulder to settle on the golden Lannister boy himself.

Dimeria turned to look in the same direction, finding Jaime standing at the bottom of the dais; she was thankful that he wasn't witnessing her speaking with Oberyn again. She suddenly caught on to the fact that Oberyn was accusing Jaime of being untrustworthy. Oh, how desperately Dimeria wanted to say that Jaime would never hurt her, but it just simply wasn't true. Dimeria simply turned back to Oberyn and looked down at the ground. "I can take care of myself."

"I hope so, Lady Dimeria." Dimeria looked back up into Oberyn's hazel eyes, finding an intensity within them that unnerved her to no end. The Dornish Prince smirked once more. "There are bigger things at work here than you realize. And I believe that in the end, whether you like it or not, you and I will be on the same side."

Oberyn shifted his gaze again, landing his eyes straight upon Tywin Lannister. "Good day, Lady Dimeria."

Without another word, Oberyn turned and left, leaving Dimeria trying to follow his gaze for a second time. She, too, spotted the mighty Lannister father and suddenly found herself wishing that she had a mind for politics like Tyrion and Varys did, that way she might have some idea of what the hell Oberyn was talking about.

…

Guarding the King's door was not the most exciting job in the world and even though Dimeria would have enjoyed sleeping instead, she was glad for silence and lull of the late night. She was sure that Tommen was already sound asleep, more than exhausted after such a long day of greeting smiling faces that most likely meant nothing to the boy. Dimeria leaned up against the oaken door and allowed her mind to wander. She was glad for the long day of mindless distractions; she didn't want to think about what Jaime had told her, but now that all was silent, she knew the overanalyzed thoughts were about to come creeping into her head.

_He lied to you__…_

I know.

_He went back to Cersei__…_

Yes, I know.

_He__'__s probably been lying to you this whole time__…_

Shut up.

_Everything you thought you had was fake__…_

No, it isn't.

_How can you be so sure?_

Dimeria paused in her mental argument. How could she be so sure? King's Landing was known for housing conniving thieves and liars; what made Jaime exempt? No. Dimeria shook her head. Why was she allowing herself to think like this? It only made her upset and exhausted.

_See? You don__'__t even know what to think__… _Her mind hissed.

Jaime wouldn't hurt me like that.

_Wouldn__'__t he? He already has__… _

He had to...he had to protect me.

_Protect you from what? Yourself__…__?_

Yes.

_Ha! This whole time he__'__s only been protecting himself__…_

No.

_Quit lying to yourself, you stupid, little warrior__…_

An angry tear trickled down Dimeria's cheek. Memories of everything she and Jaime had been through flashed through her mind, marking her heart with deep gouges of pain and longing. They had come so far since the moment they first met; since that moment when he had mistakenly accused her of spreading her legs for Robb Stark. They had become strange friends when Jaime had been held captive within Robb's encampment, and even stranger traveling companions when she had set him free.

Dimeria bit her lip to stifle her labored breathing. Pain spiked her body as she recalled being captured by General Locke in the woods, and how Jaime had saved her in so many different ways. He stopped her from losing herself, had risked his own life to stop those horrible men from raping her, and when she was stuck in a pit with a bear. Despite the fact that Jaime had hidden her true identity from her, he did it because he knew what the emotional turmoil would have done to her, especially after everything she had been through.

And now…?

Now what? Dimeria never got a chance to answer her self-imposed question as an eerily quiet voice crawled into her ear canals.

"Taking the night shift again, Lady Dimeria?" Varys emerged slowly from the shadows of the hallway.

"It's easier to think when it's quiet." She answered the eunuch.

"And what, may I ask, are you thinking so deeply about?"

Although she was slightly tempted, Varys wasn't exactly the type of person she wanted to get relationship advice from. "A lot of things." Dimeria answered with a sigh.

Varys raised a brow expectantly; he was clearly waiting for her to be more specific.

"Why would Oberyn Martell so easily agree to be a judge for Tyrion's trial?" Dimeria asked Varys, surely he would have some sort of inkling.

The eunuch pursed his lips in contemplation. "Surely you know of the history between the Martells and the Lannisters?"

Dimeria nodded. "Yes, but it's not like Tyrion had anything to do with that."

"True, but revenge is revenge. Getting some amount of vengeance is better than none at all for some men."

"That just doesn't seem right." Dimeria said, shaking her head. "I know Oberyn can be a dangerous man, but he doesn't seem like a bloodthirsty killer."

Varys shrugged. "People are not always what they seem, which is something you should be acutely aware of."

Dimeria sighed. That was only one answer, and an unsatisfying one at that, to a multitude of questions she had in mind. "Margaery Tyrell is hoping to be wed to King Tommen." She stated, moving on to the next mystery in her head.

"Hm, not very surprising to hear." Varys mused.

"Why?"

"Why else? She wants to be Queen."

That much was obvious of course, but Dimeria was beginning to wonder if there was something more than that. Gods, politics really were such a horrid thing to deal with, but she felt as if it were important to keep up.

"I imagine Lady Margaery would have quite the influence on such a young boy like King Tommen." Varys said.

"Whose influence would be worse; hers or Cersei's?" Dimeria asked.

"What do you think?"

Dimeria took a moment to ponder the question. "I don't know...I suppose it would depend on their intentions."

"Yes, it would." Varys nodded. "But then again, Lady Margaery and the Queen Regent aren't the only ones who would be pulling the strings behind the King."

"You mean Tywin Lannister?" Dimeria immediately thought back to the strange gaze Oberyn pointed at the Hand of the King earlier that day.

Again, the Master of Whispers nodded. "He's held control over the Crown for quite some time. It would be difficult for him to relinquish it."

A sigh, which quickly turned into a yawn, escaped from Dimeria's lungs. She had quite a bit to think about now, perhaps she could come to her own conclusions about the strange happenings in King's Landing.

"You look absolutely enervated, my lady." Varys said with as much concern as he deemed appropriate.

"I haven't been sleeping well...strange dreams and all…" Dimeria explained offhandedly.

Varys nodded in understanding. "Perhaps you should retire for the night. You can't guard His Grace very well if you're falling asleep on the job."

Dimeria nodded and rubbed her eyes. "Good night then, Lord Varys."

"Sleep well, Lady Dimeria…"

…

_There it was again, that dark figure that loomed over her weak and lifeless body like it had every single night. It stared at her through dark orbs that she knew were there, but she just couldn__'__t make out. _

It was the same as it had been every night since she had been carried back to the Castle in King's Landing. Every night as her head hit the pillow and she fell into deep sleep, the same dream would be conjured up in her mind. It started with her chasing after Sansa Stark and ended with her looking up into a shadowy darkness that knocked her unconscious for far too long.

_Thick blood streamed down her face like hot wax dripping down a candle, blotting out her already blurry vision and staining it with red. If only she knew who attacked her, that would make reliving this experience a lot less frustrating. But it always ended the same._

_Running. Panting. Falling. And then staring. An endless staring contest with a pair of eyes she would never recognize. And just like it did in real life, darkness began settling over her like a child being tucked tightly into bed. Her scope of vision was steadily shrinking as it did every time the dream ended. The last thing she always laid her eyes on, but could never recall once she had woken up, was a golden pin in the shape of a peculiar little bird...what was it called?_

_A mockingbird__…__?_

The dream came to a close, but the realm of uncontrolled subconscious did not end there. Her mind quickly molded up another memory for Dimeria to experience once more. As the scene came into play, Dimeria's muscles tightened in agitation and pain.

_Gods, her body hurt, yet at the same time; she felt weightless. The surroundings were familiar; dark shadows watched her from every corner, though they looked blurred and hazy; the normally soft and plush grass prickled her highly sensitive skin, but the sensation somehow seemed far away and distant; a thick canopy of trees sheltered her from on high, but she could not distinguish the beginning or end of the leafy ceiling above her. _

_The actions around her happened in the blink of an eye, yet motions seemed dragged. A ghost of pain racked her limbs as she was suddenly shifted from her position on the ground._

Dimeria twitched in her sleep as she was forced to relive that horrible night in the woods long ago.

"_You really place almost killing a man worse than you almost dying?__" __Jaime__'__s words softly wrapped around her limbs like a breeze. His body radiated strength and comfort as he gently cradled her aching body, shielding her from further harm. _

_Her response, though in real life she had struggled to say it, drifted from her mouth effortlessly as her view through the dream changed. _

Dimeria tightly gripped her blankets, but then suddenly relaxed as her mind's eye caught sight of Jaime.

_He stroked her hair lightly and rested his cheek on top of her head. She watched in mesmerization as she saw herself shift closer into Jaime__'__s arms. For that moment, it seemed as if they were the only two people in the world. A soft hush enveloped the clearing in the woods, not a breeze or rustle of leaves disturbed the peace. Not even Jaime__'__s voice interrupted the silence, but instead lent itself to the beauty of the comforting scene playing out in the dream; a heavenly chorus being softly sung on the breeze:_

"_You could still be fighting for something now.__" __Jaime told her._

"_Like what?__" _

The pain and hopelessness Dimeria had felt those many months ago was more than palpable in her dreamworld and a single tear gently trickled her cheek and onto her pillow.

"_Your life.__"_

Dimeria awoke with a soft gasp and another tear rolling down her cheek. What was that all about? She hadn't thought of that night in quite a long time...why now? Sitting up in bed, Dimeria desperately tried to calm her beating heart. Her mind replayed that memory over and over, leaving Dimeria wanting to seek Jaime out for comfort despite the fact that she was still angry with him.

_What are you going to do now, little warrior__…__? _The sickeningly harsh voice returned moments later. Dimeria bit her lip; she did not want to go through this again but...

What was she going to do? Jaime had put her through hell multiple times, but she had done the same to him. Jaime pissed her off nearly everyday, but she was positive the feeling was mutual. Jaime wasn't perfect, but neither was she. After everything they had been through, was it even possible to just suddenly end their friendship?

That dream...Jaime had saved her, and in more ways than one. That night, it had just been her life, but after that, Jaime rescued Dimeria from herself. She had known it before, but never with such clarity and gratitude. He saved Dimeria physically and emotionally; she owed him her life.

So what was she going to do?

"I'm going to forgive him." She whispered to darkness around her.

_Are you sure you want to do that__…__?_

Absolutely.

_Why__…__?_

Because the good Jaime's done for me outweighs the bad.

_But what if he does it again__…__?_

Then we'll work through it.

_He__'__s not worth the effort__…_

Yes, he is.

_What makes you so sure__…__?_

Because life with Jaime is so much better than life without him.

* * *

_**Hm, so what do you guys think about that mockingbird pin? :) Thank you to all of my reviewers, I hope I keep getting them even though there's been such a long break in between chapters!**_

_**Until next time...**_


	52. Chapter 53

_**A/N: So, I was really sad when I didn't get that many reviews on the last chapter, but I think that's mainly because the order of the chapters got all sorts of jacked up. Because of that, some of you may not have realized I updated a new chapter; so if you belong to that category, please go read the chapter before this one!**_

_**Thank you!**_

* * *

It was like an itch that couldn't be scratched, a festering wound that could not be healed. It always rested in the back of Dimeria's mind-Tyrion's trial-since it was now a mere two days away. No matter how much she wanted to deny it, Dimeria knew that the decision had already been made without the trial; now all she could do was wait for Tywin Lannister to make it official.

Dimeria hated the anxiety she was feeling; the last time she felt such pain over someone else's life was when she had heard Robb Stark had been murdered. She shuddered at the memory. The pages of the large book on her lap rustled as a breeze drifted in through her window. She battled the rush of air with a sigh. How long she had been looking through the many pages, she couldn't tell, but with the bright sun rising to the twelve o'clock hour in the sky, it was looking like two hours.

A nagging urge had awoken Dimeria that morning, driving her down to the dark dungeons of the Red Keep to see her slowly, but steadily growing dragons. It was a visit much like the others; she felt the customary awe at the sight of such legendary creatures and allowed the tension of the outside world to fade away for a few beautiful moments as she gazed at what she was slowly beginning to accept as her children. Dimeria was sucked back into a rather odd reality as her two dragons, much like small puppies, began nipping at each other. Their razor sharp teeth, however, alarmed Dimeria. The reality she was shocked back into came at the moment when she tried to get the two dragons' attention and realized she couldn't because...well, she hadn't named them yet…

So here she was, flipping back and forth through old and wrinkly pages with the names of many different dragons of the past. Dimeria couldn't come up with a better idea of how to figure out names for her own dragons.

"Balerion, also known as the Black Dread…" Dimeria read aloud, thinking of her two dragons, both of which were **not** black. Her lungs expelled another burst of air.

"Meleys, called the...Red Queen…" Two problems, Dimeria's dragons were neither red, nor female. Mindlessly clicking her tongue, Dimeria flipped several more pages over. "Sheepstealer…" She said with distaste.

The soft shuffle of flying pages filled the room. Black ink molded together and Dimeria continuously flipped the papers until she finished counting to five. It was a system she had developed over time; flip through the pages for five seconds and pick the name that was ninth on the list.

"...six, seven, eight...nine: 'The Cannibal...A wild dragon, never ridden. Known to feast on the carcasses of other dragons.'" Dimeria pursed her lips together. "That sounds promising…" She said to herself.

She repeated her page flipping system. A slim, calloused finger drifted down the rough page. "'Tessarion, also called the Blue Queen. Ridden by Prince Daeron Targaryen.'" She wasn't sure what it was, but something just stopped her from choosing any of these names; she wanted something...original. The names in this book just seemed too formal.

Laying back on her bed and letting the book fall to her side, Dimeria allowed her mind to wander to various subjects.

_What if I never come up with names for my dragons…?_

_What am I going to do when they get bigger…?_

_I could have them eat my enemies…_

Dimeria smirked.

_Okay, no, maybe not...I'll just have them eat the Lannisters!_

_Except Tyrion...and Tommen...and Jaime, of course…_

_Gods, I should talk to Jaime…_

_Mmm, but I kind of don't want to…_

Dimeria shook her head. She hadn't spoken to Jaime for a couple of days despite the overwhelming realization that she needed him in her life. Most of it had to do with the fact that she was extremely anxious about Tyrion's dismal situation, but she was also ridiculously anxious to confront Jaime.

A knock sounded at her door. "M'lady?"

Dimeria's anxious thoughts gave way to nausea at the sound of her handmaiden's chipper voice. "What?!" She snapped, not bothering to get up and open the door.

"Uh, Lord Tywin Lannister wishes to speak with you." The young girl called through the oaken door.

Dimeria smacked her face (a little too hard, she would later find out.) in disappointment. "When?" She asked.

"Now…" Her handmaiden said.

"Fine." Dimeria muttered. She dreaded any conversation with Tywin Lannister; she always had the urge to gouge his cold, arrogant eyes out with her hands, but she knew she didn't have a choice. She could either do as she was told, or end up in the same position as Tyrion.

…

Much to his surprise and relief, Jaime had been too busy to over think his situation with Dimeria; he was much more concerned about his brother. His poor, doomed brother Tyrion. The trial was in two days, yet Jaime still couldn't figure out a way to save Tyrion. His duties as Lord Commander of the Kingsguard remained the same; protecting the King, ensuring the safety of those in the castle, and training new members appointed to the Kingsguard. With the control he had over the security of King's Landing, Jaime felt as if he should be able to do something-**anything**-to save his brother; but he just couldn't come up with anything.

A dark voice crept into his mind. He couldn't think of anything, or he didn't want to? Surely it couldn't be that hard conjure up some sort of escape plan, so why hadn't he done it yet?

Was he being selfish? Jaime knew that if anyone knew he helped Tyrion escape his seemingly unchangeable fate, he would be thrown into the same jail cell his little brother was currently occupying. Jaime obviously didn't want that to happen, but did that make him a horrible brother?

Dimeria would say that it did. Jaime sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He stood in the throne room, looking at the hideous seat of swords that his father would sit upon in two days and solidify his own son's death. Perhaps Jaime's hesitation to save Tyrion made him selfish, but it didn't make him the monster he knew his father was; Jaime was absolutely certain of that.

Jaime turned and walked out of the dim throne room; he would be spending enough time there as it was in two days. He began making his security rounds about the castle grounds. Jaime would see Dimeria often as he made these treks, but he refrained from speaking to her. Jaime had done his part in confessing his sin to Dimeria; all he could do was wait for her now. But that was what irritated him. It had been several days since he had told Dimeria, and she still hadn't sought him out. Perhaps that was her way of getting the message across to him; that she no longer wanted anything to do with him. It never took Jaime very long to throw out that option; Dimeria was confrontational, she faced her problems head on with a sword in her hand, which still didn't put Jaime in a safe situation.

All of these things ran through his mind as he caught a glimpse of Dimeria escorting Lady Olenna to the carriage she would be heading to High Garden in. A glance was all he needed to see the alarmed look upon Dimeria's face; something had obviously startled her, but Jaime had to quell the urge to figure out what.

Before Dimeria could turn around and see him, Jaime turned his back and walked the other direction to go back into the castle. He would go visit Tyrion. The Gods knew that the dwarf would need someone to talk to now that the trial was so close. Yes, he would go spend time with Tyrion; if not for Tyrion's reassurance and comfort, then for his own.

…

Dimeria had witnessed firsthand how conniving Margaery Tyrell could be, so she had no clue why she hadn't expected Olenna Tyrell to be the same way. Dimeria never gave much thought to how naive she truly was; she didn't want to the people who warned her of her ignorance to be proven right, but after the confrontation with the Tyrell matriarch, it would have been wise for Dimeria to have listened to those warnings.

"_So, you have decided to settle as the first glorified female bodyguard?" Lady Olenna asked. _

_Dimeria offered a nervous laugh. "I wouldn't call it settling…"_

"_I would." The old woman scoffed. _

_Having a hard time stifling her sigh, Dimeria bit her lip as they continued on their walk to the carriage. After finally arriving, Dimeria opened up the door and anxiously waited for Olenna to climb in and be on her way. _

_Suddenly, the elderly woman stopped and faced Dimeria. "You know, the role of a bodyguard is to __**guard**__ those around; not to intervene with things that are high above their status."_

_Dimeria furrowed her brows. "What?"_

"_Stay out of my granddaughter's way, Lady Dimeria."_

"_I don't remember ever being in her way." Dimeria snapped a little too harshly. _

_Aged, yet still vibrant orbs gazed into Dimeria's blue eyes. "I may not wield a sword like you or your Kingsguard members, but I have my own weapons...as does Margaery."_

"_Is that a threat, Lady Olenna?" Dimeria asked, nearly too stunned to form words. _

_A queer smirk was the only answer she gave. "Have a lovely afternoon, Lady Dimeria." And with those last words of goodbye, Lady Olenna took the liberty of shutting the carriage door herself, effectively shutting Dimeria out and ignoring whatever else the young girl might have to say._

Dimeria strolled through the halls of the Red Keep with her mind in a whirl. Why on earth would Olenna Tyrell feel the need to threaten her? A spark of anger flickered in her eyes. How **dare** that old woman threaten her! How old was she…103? No doubt she was catching up to that hideous, old hag Pycelle. Without noticing, Dimeria began tapping the wall with her fist as she continued walking down the halls, each tap gaining more force, as she got angrier and angrier.

What had she ever done to the Tyrells?!

Her first thought was when she found Margaery speaking with Tommen late at night, but did that situation really call for such a threat? And how exactly did that imply that Dimeria was "in Margaery's way"? Dimeria stopped her frustrated thumping and took a deep breath. In order to figure this out, she would have to actually try to think like all the snakes that inhabited King's Landing. There was always an ulterior motive for the people in the Red Keep, Dimeria just had to figure out what the drive for the Tyrell's was.

"Margaery still wants to be Queen," Dimeria began muttering softly to herself. "and Tommen is her only way in now that he's King." A candle finally flickered brightly above her head. "So **that's **why she was in Tommen's room that night!" She said rather loudly, drawing odd stares from handmaidens and squires passing by.

Dropping her gaze, Dimeria went back to her mental investigation. "But why would she be so angry that I kicked her out that one night? She has plenty of opportunities to spend time with Tommen…" Her tapping along the wall began once more, though it began out of intense contemplation rather than frustration. The thought annoyed her-the thought that she was being punished for simply doing her job-it just didn't seem right. And that was where she got stuck: What had she really done wrong?

Out of nowhere it seemed, the cold stone of the hallway turned into a heavy oak door; the entrance to Tywin Lannister's study. Luckily enough, Dimeria managed to stop herself from hitting the door and began making her way past the door...until she heard a panicked voice.

"That...that can't be." A tremor slipped into the normally firm and sure voice.

_Cersei…?_

"Our last working mine ran dry three years ago." Tywin Lannister's deep voice stated the awful truth that even had Dimeria raising her brows in shock.

"Then how do we pay for anything?" Cersei asked, sounding almost like a small child.

"The crown owes the Iron Bank a tremendous amount of money." Tywin said, still commanding an air of utter surety despite the fact that he just admitted that he and his family were broke.

"How much?"

"A tremendous amount." Tywin said, not divulging any real details to Cersei.

"There must be someone at the Iron Bank that you can speak to, come to some sort of arrangement."

A snort of derision sounded from Tywin, signalling he thought Cersei's suggestion was ridiculous. Dimeria couldn't really say; she only had a vague idea of what the Iron Bank was.

"The Iron Bank is the Iron Bank." Tywin said. "You can't run from them, you can't cheat them, and you can't sway them with excuses. If you owe them money and you don't wait to ruin yourself, you pay them back." A pause came in the conversation, nearly driving Dimeria to leave the door, for she thought they were done speaking.

"The Tyrells are our only true rivals in terms of resources, but we need them on our side." His voice continued. "Vesting them in the crown will help a great deal in this respect."

Dimeria backed away from the door; barely hearing Cersei say that she knew it was for the good of the family. So the Lannisters **needed** the Tyrells, and the Tyrells needed to Lannisters...Dimeria wondered if any members of either family realized this. Cersei hated Margaery though; no doubt that it nearly tore her apart to think that the Tyrell beauty would be marrying her last son. Though of course, Tommen was a much better marriage choice than Joffrey had been; even Margaery would have had to have known that.

_I have my own weapons...as does Margaery…_

Dimeria flinched. Did that mean...No, it couldn't possibly, but-what if it did? Did the Tyrell's kill Joffrey…

No.

Dimeria couldn't come to a conclusion like that by herself. If she had learned anything, it was that she knew nothing about politics; she was too naive for it. She would have to talk to someone about it, someone who had a mind for tricks and games; and, of course, that someone would have to be Tyrion.

…

Being the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard did tend to have its perks, such as being allowed to speak with Tyrion for as long as he desired, whereas most visitors would barely have 5 minutes with prisoners. It was oddly surreal the way Jaime and Tyrion got along in the prison cell; one would have thought their conversations would have been dull and depressing, but during that afternoon they managed to fill the dank air with laughter, though the weight of Tyrion's trial looming over their heads did not go unnoticed.

Jaime didn't realize he had spent nearly the entire afternoon speaking with his brother, but he was rather pleased that he did. He didn't bring up Tyrion's trial and he didn't mention his situation with Dimeria; they just talked like two normal brothers normally would. It was almost as if they were making up for times they hadn't behaved as siblings when they were children, but they both had the feeling that the effort was a little too late.

As Jaime left the prison cells that evening, he walked with a little less weight on his shoulders and with his heart pounding a little softer. In his heart Jaime knew that the content feeling would never last, especially in a place like King's Landing, but he reveled in how peaceful he felt as he walked up the steps leading to the main level of the castle.

And that was when he ran into her.

"Dimeria." Jaime said with surprise.

The same surprised look was reflected in Dimeria's eyes, though she took a deep breath to dispel it. "Lannister." She said.

Gods, Jaime wanted to ask her what was going on inside that head of hers; what her next move was in their relationship, but he held his tongue.

"I was just visiting Tyrion." Jaime said, his neck straining with self-control.

"And I was just about to go see him." Dimeria said with a forced smile.

Jaime normally would have read the response as one of Dimeria's customary blunt attitudes, except for the fact that she wouldn't make eye contact-wouldn't...or couldn't? Something was on her mind, Jaime could tell, but she was clearly unsure of how to deal with it. Rather than ask her about like he usually would have, he dropped his green eyes as well and nodded.

"I'll let you get to it then." He said softly.

A flash of panic glimmered within Dimeria's blue orbs as if she wanted to say something else, but Jaime forced himself not to linger. He turned his back with his hands clenched tightly at his sides.

"Jaime!"

Dimeria's voice sent chills down Jaime's spine. Something about the way she said his first name-it was...special. She normally called him "Lannister", but there were just those unique moments where his name would fall from her beautiful lips and ring like a beautiful chorus of bells within his ears.

Jaime turned expectantly towards her. Several times Dimeria opened and closed her mouth, as if she was struggling to decide what exactly she wanted to say to him. White teeth bit down on her bottom lip as she opened and closed her hands nervously. Jaime had seen her like this several times before: Dimeria had never been good at expressing her feelings. She suddenly pursed her lips in frustration and resignation.

"Do you remember that story I told you at Harrenhal? When I was a little girl at Castle Black?" She asked Jaime.

He looked at her with confusion. "Yes…where you thought you had accidentally killed that man."

Dimeria shut her eyes and took a deep breath. "I told you what Jeor said to me. That everyone messes up in life."

Jaime nodded.

"Don't make _that_ mistake again, Jaime." Dimeria said in reference to Jaime's near infidelity. "I don't know what I would do if you did."

The normally stoic Kingsguard warrior dropped his mouth in disbelief; he could hardly comprehend what was happening! "It won't, Dimeria. I give you my word." Jaime stuttered nervously

A small smile broke out upon Dimeria's face; not one that showed her teeth, but revealed the dimples in her cheeks and seemed to take off nearly ten years from her face. Happiness glittered within her eyes, deep oceans greeting the bright morning sun. She said nothing and turned around to continue down the steps to visit Tyrion.

Jaime stared at the space Dimeria had just occupied still not quite believing his fortune. A smile appeared on his face as well and as he turned to enter back into the castle, he once again felt more weight leave his shoulders and a sense of elation lift his heart.

…

Dimeria had made herself a mental checklist that afternoon and smiled to herself as she was able to cross off another goal off that list.

_Research Dragon Names: Check_

_Escort Olenna Tyrell to carriage: Check_

_Forgive Jaime for being an idiot: (Awkward, but…) Check_

_Visit Tyrion: Almost Check_

_Choose names for dragons: Not even close_

So now that Dimeria was on her way to speak with Tyrion now, she really only had one more thing on her list! Thinking over it, Dimeria laughed at herself for thinking that forgiving Jaime was going to be the one unfinished item that evening, but instead it was naming those two little dragons. Granted, her conversation with the golden Lannister boy was rather strained; she wasn't entirely sure what she wanted to say to Jaime at the time.

"_Well Jaime, you were an idiot and I'm completely disgusted that you ever had a romantic relationship with your sister, but I'm strangely attached to the idea of you being in my life so, I guess I forgive you."_

Despite the fact that Dimeria pretty much felt that way, she didn't feel it was appropriate to voice her thoughts that literally. It took her several moments of agonizing over her emotions, but the bastard girl finally decided to use something personal from her life; something that she knew Jaime would understand, or at least hoped he would.

As she made her way closer to Tyrion, Dimeria decided that she had met her quota for the month of expressing her emotions and felt that she could now go back to being the cold, harsh warrior she normally was; life was easier that way.

"Another visit from a Kingsguard warrior...I'm very popular today." Tyrion said with a sarcastic smirk.

Dimeria greeted him with an eye roll. "I'm glad to see you're in a good mood, I have a lot to ask you about."

"Oh goodie…" Tyrion said.

Dimeria began recounting her day to Tyrion, briefly mentioning how she spent most of the morning trying to think of names for her dragons, but spending most of the time telling him of her interaction with Lady Olenna and then the conversation she overheard between Cersei and Tywin.

"So my family is broke." Tyrion mused. "I guess it's a good thing I'm in jail then, it doesn't really affect me."

Blue eyes glared at Tyrion for the comment; Tyrion had a bad habit of turning his self-pity into jokes that weren't even funny.

"My guess is that your father is pushing for a wedding between your family and the Tyrells." Dimeria said.

"And the Tyrells want the same thing, of course, because they want to have power over the Iron Throne." Tyrion concluded.

Dimeria nodded in agreement. "Okay, but what I don't understand is why Lady Olenna threatened me. Why does she think I'm in Margaery's way?"

Tyrion got up and began pacing the dirty floor. His hand rubbing over his chin in contemplation, the dwarf carefully weighed all the different options in his mind. What did Dimeria have to do with this? Suddenly, the answer came to his mind about as forcefully as someone throwing a cow pattie at the late King Joffrey.

"You _are_ in Margaery's way!" Tyrion exclaimed.

Dimeria stared at him with a less than amused expression. "Wow, great job, Tyrion. I hadn't come to that conclusion yet." She deadpanned.

Tyrion returned the sour mood with a glare of his own. "I mean that...if you are in the picture, Margaery really may not have a chance of being Queen."

"I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but that's just another way of saying, 'I'm in Margaery's way.'."

Tyrion took a deep breath. "Think about it. What is the only way Margaery can become Queen?"

"Marrying Tommen." Dimeria answered.

"But if Tommen doesn't choose Margaery as his Queen…" Tyrin left the sentence hanging.

Dimeria pondered his suggestion for a moment. "Okay...then who would he choose?"

It was Tyrion's turn to bear an unamused expression. "What other woman does Tommen spend most of his time with, other than his mother? Although with this family, you never know what could happen."

Scowling at his suggestion, Dimeria had to think about Tyrion's question for another few seconds before her scowl disappeared and was replaced with a look of shock. "Me?!"

"My goodness, you really are a genius, aren't you?" Tyrion snorted. "How could you not have noticed by now?"

Dimeria was firmly in denial. "Because he's a child! Why on earth would I have any thoughts like that about Tommen?"

Tyrion shrugged. "Take it as a compliment: A boy king falling in love with a bastard warrior. That'll be one to sing at the bars!"

A sigh escaped Dimeria's lips as she shook her head back and forth. "Margaery can have Tommen. I have no interest in him, or in being Queen." She stood up and made to leave Tyrion's prison cell for the night.

"What if Jaime were king? Would you be interested then?" Tyrion asked playfully.

_Did Tyrion know Dimeria had forgiven Jaime…?_

"I could tell by the way you didn't have a permanent scowl and by the fact that you didn't rant about him." Tyrion said, answering her unspoken question.

Dimeria shook her head in disbelief, but couldn't help but smile at the imp. "Good night, Tyrion."

"Keep thinking about those dragon names. I'd like to hear them before my trial." Tyrion called after her.

"I'll do my best."

"You have two more days!"

And with that ominous calling, Dimeria closed the prison cell with a loud creak, and walked back to her room in silence.

* * *

_**Jaimeria has been reunited...YOU'RE WELCOME. Remember to leave reviews!**_

_**Until next time...**_


	53. Chapter 54

_**A/N: Guys, I'm still alive. I promise. Please enjoy this long overdue chapter and don't kill me for being absent for what feels like a decade.**_

* * *

Beads of sweat rolled smoothly down sun-kissed skin, muscles screeched with exhaustion and pain, lungs expanded quickly and desperately for air. The battle surged on endlessly. Steel pounded deafeningly and grunts of determination soared through the air.

Tip #1: Find opponent's weakness.

Tip #2: Exploit that weakness.

Tip #3: Try not to show any openings.

Tip #4: Remain on the offensive.

Tip #5: DON'T LOSE TO JAIME LANNISTER.

Dimeria's hands were numb from Jaime's strong counters and her arms were beginning to feel like noodles, but she refused to give in. She was tiring out the great Kingsguard Commander, but she was fading just as quickly as he was; it wouldn't take long for her muscles to just give out, but Dimeria hated the idea of giving Jaime the satisfaction of beating her. Dimeria's mind tuned in to the one-on-one battle once more, trying to find some way to defeat her adversary.

Tip #6: Don't lose focus.

Tip #7: Ignore Jaime's taunts.

Tip #8: KICK HIS ASS.

"Getting tired, little warrior? Feel free to give in anytime." Jaime smirked arrogantly, though Dimeria could hear the pants of breath he managed to get in between words.

The fiery bastard girl only growled in response and charged forward, driving Jaime back several steps, but not enough to make him panic. The cheers were beginning to get to Dimeria- the shouts from the other warriors in the training area-and she suddenly began finding herself listening to the crowd rather than focusing on Jaime. Before she knew it, Jaime somehow mustered up a large burst of energy and charged at Dimeria like a bull. She began backpedaling and held her blade up defensively until Jaime knocked her sword out of her hands and she fell flat on her back.

Tip #9: Don't fall on ass, but if it happens, glare heavily at Jaime.

Tip #10: Do NOT take offered hand of assistance.

Dimeria smacked Jaime's hand out of the way and stood up from her embarrassing position on the ground. Their sparring session, which they had meant to use as a stress reliever, eventually turned into a ferocious battle, drawing many of the guards who were quite enthralled with the two skilled fighters. It took many minutes for the crowd to dispel after congratulating Jaime with pats on the back, while avoiding Dimeria with caution as she glared venomously at each and every one of them. Once the other guards had cleared out, Jaime regarded Dimeria warily.

"We were only training, Dimeria. Don't take it personally." He said.

"I'm not." Dimeria answered, lifting her chin and looking rather haughty.

Jaime furrowed his brows. "You could've fooled me…" He mumbled to himself, though loud enough for Dimeria to catch his words.

She rolled her eyes, but only yawned in response as she turned to leave the training area. Jaime followed her lead and the two guards began walking side-by-side back into the castle. They walked in silence for most of the way, until Dimeria broke the quiet and asked:

"Did that do absolutely nothing to relieve your stress, or is that just me?"

"No. I don't think my nerves are going to be calmed anytime soon." Jaime replied.

Dimeria closed her eyes and sighed. Tyrion's trial was now one day away and it was beginning to drive her insane. "Tyrion told me to think of names for my dragons and tell him before the trial." She said softly.

"And have you?"

She shook her head. "I can't think of any...well," she reconsidered, "not any good ones."

"What have you come up with?" Jaime asked curiously.

Dimeria wrinkled her nose, fearing that she was about to get made fun of. "They're just...stupid ones that I've found in books."

Jaime held back a chuckle. "Like?"

"Well, the ones I didn't hate were 'Argenosse' and 'Lakrimeer'."

Jaime pinched his lips together, ineffectively stifling his laughter at the ridiculous names.

Dimeria groaned at his side. "They're hideous aren't they?"

"You'll think of something, little warrior." Jaime encouraged, smiling at the fact that Dimeria was taking the entire thing so seriously; it was somewhat...endearing.

"Stop smiling, Lannister." She snapped at him.

The response only widened Jaime's grin. Everything seemed as if Jaime were stuck in a dream; he could hardly believe Dimeria had forgiven him the night before. Part of him wanted to know why she had done it, but he wasn't going to question her; with his luck Dimeria would end up overthinking her decision and then take it back. No, he would take advantage of the luckiest moment of his life and never let Dimeria down again; he would live so that Dimeria would never have to regret her decision.

"Are there any houses with a mockingbird as their sigil?" Dimeria asked abruptly, pulling Jaime from his thoughts.

"No...At least none that I can think of. Why?"

"Just wondering." Dimeria answered offhandedly. She wished she knew why she kept seeing that damn mockingbird pin in her sleep and until she figured exactly what it meant, Dimeria had a feeling that the bird would haunt her every single night for the rest of her life.

…

Later that night, as Dimeria and Jaime walked through the surf of Blackwater Bay; Dimeria couldn't help but smile as Jaime paused every so often to throw rocks into the water. A cold wind blew her hair into her face, but she ignored the chilling goose bumps rising up on her arms and enjoyed herself. Dimeria knew that this was to be the last night that she and Jaime could live so peacefully; every day after the next would be tainted with pain and loss after Tyrion's trial.

"How did you do that?" Dimeria asked Jaime, pushing the dismal thoughts from her mind.

"Do what?"

"The rock bounced." She explained. "How did you do it?"

Jaime grinned. "They're skipping. Have you never skipped rocks before?" Dimeria sent him a pointed look at the ridiculous question. Jaime took it in stride. "I used to spend hours with Tyrion at Casterly Rock doing it. He could never get the hang of it, but he liked watching me do it."

A muscled arm reared back again and Jaime sent another stone bouncing-or rather, skipping-into the dark waves of the bay. "I could teach you." He offered.

Dimeria shook her head. "Some other time."

Glimmering white teeth shined at Dimeria as Jaime turned back to the water to send another rock skipping into the watery oblivion beyond, when thousands of years later it would resurface onto the sandy shore and wait for another passerby to find joy in skipping rocks. Dimeria pictured what she would be currently be doing if she hadn't forgiven Jaime the night before, and envisioned herself sitting alone in her chambers, brooding over Tyrion's trial while desperately wishing she had someone to console her; and of course that someone would be Jaime. Any feelings of doubt over forgiving Jaime flew from Dimeria's mind, and she gave thanks to whatever force was controlling her life for bringing her to Jaime; even though Dimeria really didn't have any firm belief in the gods, for they had never had any real presence in her upbringing at Castle Black, she felt as if she had to thank someone for her fortune.

What had Dimeria done to deserve such a companion like Jaime? Dimeria had always believed that she made her own fate, but that was before she had been exposed to the world around her. So much had happened since she left Castle Black and so many things had changed in her life; she had changed. Was it possible that someone or some_thing_ was in control? If that wasn't the case, what else could explain how Dimeria had experienced such luck in her misguided and impulsive adventure? Looking back at her own actions, Dimeria had never consciously done anything to ensure that she had met Jaime; it just happened. And thank the Gods it had! (If in fact there were gods.) Perhaps Dimeria's meeting of Jaime had just been coincidence, but if that were true, were her feelings for Jaime also just a stroke of pure luck?

Dimeria glanced at Jaime once again. Her feelings...what were they? Was this love she felt for Jaime? How would she even know? Whatever it was, Dimeria believed that her emotions for Jaime were just too strong to be classified as a coincidence. All she could think to do was enjoy her time with him, for if she were to judge by the past occurrences in her life, Dimeria could never really know how much longer she would have Jaime by her side.

"I think I came up with names for my dragons." Dimeria grinned at Jaime, comfortable warmth spreading throughout her chest as she continued contemplating her life with him.

"It's about time." Jaimed teased. "What are they?"

Dimeria shook her head. "Can't tell you."

Jaime spun around to face her, confusion sending his rock splashing into the water with a small _plunk!_ "Why not?"

"I want Tyrion to be the first to know." Dimeria answered with a shrug.

Jaime sent a glare towards Dimeria, but couldn't find it within himself to truly be angry with her; he knew that she and Tyrion had a close friendship that he dared not intrude upon.

"I'm sure he'll approve of them."

"Doesn't matter if he does, I'm tired of thinking up names and I'm not doing it anymore." Dimeria said with a stubborn finality and a glare that could have chilled her own dragons to the bone.

The two warriors continued walking along the shore, making amiable conversation throughout the night until they decided it was time to retire back into the Castle. Dimeria took notice as she walked back into the castle that Jaime turned to go in the direction of the dungeons; he apparently planned to make one last visit to his little brother before his trial. Dimeria considered following suit, but decided not to invade the space of the two brothers; they deserved some fraternal bonding that night.

Dimeria believed that she was going to get a good night sleep that evening, and while she had no problems falling asleep; the same could not be said for staying asleep. Once again the gold mockingbird appeared in her dreams, following and haunting her subconscious, much like the fear of Tyrion's trial had followed her throughout the day.

…

Cersei was ready. If all plans went accordingly, her hideous monster of a brother would be condemned to death the next day. A reptilian smile crept onto her aging face. Gods, Cersei had waited for this moment since that horrid imp had first been born, taking her mother's life and keeping it for himself. What did right did that brat have to steal away her mother? He didn't. He didn't have any right, and Cersei was determined to make him pay for that atrocious act of murder he committed as an infant.

The Queen Regent regretted that it had taken so long to finally make him pay, but she remembered the saying: "Better late than never." Cersei couldn't remember the last time she had been this thrilled. She had taken every precaution necessary for this trial, but she realized that she probably didn't even need to; Tyrion had put himself into this position by murdering Joffrey. But no matter, Cersei was confident she would be down one brother by the end of the next day, and all of her plotting and scheming would come to fruition.

Her fingers tapped anxiously upon the carven wood table that held her goblet of wine. How many nights Cersei had spent at this table on her balcony plotting and scheming, she did not know, but now that she looked back on it, things were beginning to come into perspective. Cersei had almost lost everything. _Everything._ She began putting them in a list in her head.

#1: Her mother-Tyrion's fault.

#2: Myrcella-Tyrion's fault.

#3: Joffrey-Tyrion's fault.

Cersei rolled her eyes. Gods, everything was his fault! Two of her three children were gone because of him! Even Tommen was beginning to move away from Cersei, though she supposed she couldn't blame that on Tyrion; that weight rested upon the shoulders of Margaery Tyrell, the wicked little bitch. Cersei was so alone in her life, which was how she had always wanted it in the first place; it made living hurt a little less when one didn't have so many people to worry about, but the people that she did want in her life, the ones that she couldn't help but care about, they were the ones that were leaving her. Her mother, her children, her brother-

The tapping upon the table ceased all of a sudden and Cersei began strangling the neck of her goblet of wine. Jaime-her partner in life; the one that was meant to be by her side since they day they were born-he had left her too. But not even Cersei could find a way to blame Tyrion for that; Dimeria-the horrid bastard girl-was the only one could assume responsibility for stealing Jaime away from her. For many nights Cersei had pondered how the ignorant girl captured Jaime's interest, but her thoughts soon strayed into a darker area: how to get rid of the girl.

That was the most frustrating part, though; no one else seemed to be concerned with Dimeria's presence like Cersei was. Not even her father, the powerful Tywin Lannister, spared the bastard girl a second thought; she wasn't extremely important in his cold and cruel eyes, but neither was she useless. Cersei didn't necessarily need Tywin's agreement that Dimeria was a nuisance, but not having anyone on her side made her task that much harder. For weeks, months even, Cersei had desperately scratched and clawed to figure out a way to kill, or just expel Dimeria from King's Landing. At one point, she had almost left without Cersei having to meddle whatsoever. From what she understood, that was all Jaime's doing, but her ever-determined twin managed to convince Dimeria to stay, or at least, Cersei thought it was Jaime that had convinced her.

And then once again, Cersei thought she was liberated of Dimeria's sickening presence when she had gone missing and was presumed dead. The Queen didn't remember feeling much triumph at that time, for the death of her first son was first and foremost occupying her mind, but she did remember the feeling of outrage and bitter hatred when the Kingsguard had found her still breathing body.

After feeling like she would have to live with Dimeria for the rest of her life, Cersei finally found her opportunity. It came as a surprise, but Cersei welcomed it with open arms and a malicious grin. Oh yes, tomorrow would be such a grand day for Cersei. Tyrion would be condemned to death and the beginning of Dimeria's end would be set in motion.

And that stupid Targaryen bitch would never see it coming.

…

It was an inappropriately bright day for Tyrion's trial, as if the gods were celebrating the condemnation of the Lannister dwarf. Dimeria volunteered to be Tyrion's escort all the way from his prison cell to the throne room, for she wanted to offer as much moral support as possible. Tyrion tried to put on a brave face as Dimeria and two other guards released him from the cell, though Dimeria could see the defeat beginning to settle in like a thick blanket of snow at Castle Black.

The halls of the Red Keep seemed stale and void of any warmth despite the fact that the sun was pouring in through the windows, along with torches lining the red brick walls. There were no words of comfort in Dimeria's mind, only fear and doubt; but she had the overwhelming urge to comfort Tyrion in this dolorous time, even if it was only for a little while.

"I thought of the names, Tyrion…" Dimeria said vaguely so that the other guards wouldn't catch on.

"And?" The dwarf asked.

"Agrelio and Ceruleas."

"Agrelio….and Ceruleas…" Tyrion repeated, tasting the names on his tongue. "I like them." He said after a moment with a smile on his face, though Dimeria could tell that it was strained.

Dimeria returned the gleeful facade, though she doubted Tyrion actually saw it since his eyes were constantly drawn forward. Guilt enveloped Dimeria, for despite all of her best efforts, she knew she wouldn't be able to raise Tyrion from his despondent solitude.

"I appreciate you escorting me, Dimeria." Tyrion said softly.

"I wanted to since I didn't visit you last night."

"Jaime says you've been asking about a House with the sigil of a mockingbird?" Tyrion stated as a question.

An instant pounding in her head ensued at the mention of her strange nightmare invasion. "Do you know of any?" Dimeria asked with a hope-filled voice.

Considering his words for a few moments, Tyrion pursed his lips and involuntarily shuddered as he realized he and the guards were getting closer to the throne room. "Well," Tyrion began, reverting his mind back to Dimeria's question. "There aren't any Houses with a mockingbird sigil, but there's a man who adopted it as his own."

Dimeria screwed her face in confusion. "Is that even allowed?" She asked, her eyes beginning to flit back and forth nervously as they crept nearer to the throne room.

"Technically...no, but he uses it more as a symbol instead of a representation of his house."

"Well who is it?"

"Petyr Baelish."

Instead of answering the hundreds of questions that were already in Dimeria's mind, Tyrion's answer only raised a thousand more inquiries. Petyr Baelish...he was always the one player that Dimeria seemed to forget about. He appeared inconsequential most of the time, but Dimeria was now beginning to see that perhaps she was wrong to assume so.

Dimeria, Tyrion, and the other guards finally approached the entrance to the throne room. All thoughts of other matters were quickly driven away from Tyrion and Dimeria's minds as panic and fear took over. Jaime was there at the doors, stoic and regal in his Kingsguard uniform as he took over the job of escorting his little brother into the trial.

With one last shared look of fleeting reassurance among Tyrion, Dimeria and Jaime; they walked into the throne room.

* * *

_**CERSEI KNOWS ABOUT DIMERIA.**_

_**That is all. (Please remember to leave reviews, I love all of you!)**_

_**Until next time...**_


	54. Chapter 55

She had been told to remain out sight; hidden from the rest of the people in attendance. She didn't see why it mattered, no one ever noticed her anyway. Well…he did…

She shook her head. Now was the worst time to think about _that_. Obeying orders, she kept herself from being visible in the throne room and awaited her signal. An electric buzz sizzled against her skin. Why was she so anxious? Her job was simple, yet she wanted to get it over with as soon as possible. The large wooden doors to the throne room suddenly opened, and she cowered even further away from the crowd.

The footsteps of the two guards-Jaime Lannister and that Northern bastard girl- echoed eerily along with the imp's. Eyes bore into Tyrion's skin, though he made a conscious attempt to not return the hateful gazes. She was glad Tyrion couldn't see her; in fact, she was glad that no one could see her. She was used to the stares, but she knew that the stares she would receive this day would be different from the looks that normally occurred. She leaned her back against the wall for support and patiently waited for her moment to come.

…

Tyrion stepped onto the wooden dais just in front of the iron throne, despondency masking his typically cynical features. Dimeria observed the poor dwarf with pity. They all knew how this trial would end; the real question in everyone's mind was how much embarrassment Tyrion would have to endure before he finally got his sentence. The crowd of people who had gathered to watch the trial-because they apparently had nothing better to do-put a scowl upon Dimeria's face. Why did they hate Tyrion so much? Why were they so entertained by someone else's misery? Dimeria simply couldn't fathom it, but perhaps she was biased towards the situation; Tyrion was one of her best friends after all.

"I, Tommen of the House Baratheon, First of my name, King of the Andals and the First Men, and Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, do hereby recuse myself from this trial." The boy-king addressed the crowd with his rehearsed line, and Dimeria began imagining how the trial would play out if Tommen actually sat as a judge. Tommen was a soft child; it was hard to believe that he had a mean bone in his body. If Tommen were actually a judge, Tyrion would have a better chance at surviving.

"Tywin of the House Lannister, Hand of the King, Protector of the Realm, will sit as judge in my stead. And with him Prince Oberyn of the House Martell and Lord Mace of the House Tyrell." Dimeria mentally cringed at the sound of Oberyn's name.

"And if found guilty…" A shift occurred as Tommen paused in the middle of the ominous sentence. _If found guilty…_ The mysterious foreshadowing of the future caused each and every person to stop a moment and wonder..._what if…?_ Everyone expected a certain outcome to this trial, but truthfully, no one would truly know until the actual defining sentence. The reminder that no one knew what the future would bring had a certain effect on everyone, a chilling shiver that reminded everyone of just how mortal they were; Dimeria was positive that Tyrion had been aware of this reminder for the last couple of weeks.

"...may the gods punished the accused." Tommen left the throne then, taking an empty seat next to Margaery Tyrell.

The menacing form of Tywin Lannister placed himself upon the Iron Throne, his blue orbs piercing the air in front of him. Most people would have winced, or perhaps even run screaming from the room had they been in Tyrion's place, but the headstrong imp matched the intensity of the glowering gaze.

"Tyrion of the House Lannister, you stand accused by the accused by the Queen Regent of regicide." Tywin stated. "Did you kill King Joffrey?"

"No." Tyrion answered without hesitation.

"Did your wife, the Lady Sansa?" The next question was posed.

"Not that I know of." The next answer was given.

"How would you say he died, then?"

"Choked on his pigeon pie."

"So you would blame the bakers?"

"Or the pigeons." The crowd murmured with disapproval of the sarcastic answer. Dimeria stifled a sigh. "Just leave me out of it."

If Tywin Lannister could have fabricated his dissatisfaction into material form, Dimeria was sure he would have, but he was forced to settle for a deep sigh. "The crown may call its first witness."

Dimeria held back the urge to vomit as Meryn Trant made his way to the stand. She had never had prolonged exposure to the vile man (thank the Gods), but she didn't need to in order to know he was an awful piece of human existence.

"Once we'd got King Joffrey safely away from the mob, the Imp rounded on him. He slapped the king across the face and called him a vicious idiot and a fool." Meryn Trant recounted. His telling of the apparent misdeeds Tyrion had committed bored Dimeria. It didn't take a genius realize that Joffrey probably deserved whatever Tyrion did to him.

Ignoring the allegations against Tyrion, Dimeria took to observing the throne room. The benches were filled with commoners with excitement written on their faces, while the Lords and Ladies sitting separate seemed stale with boredom. Dimeria could say for herself that she wasn't enjoying having to observe this trial, but perhaps it would have been different if someone she hated at been on the stand. It just so happened, however, that one of her closest companions was the one looking death in the face; surprisingly, Tyrion seemed undaunted by the situation. At most he looked irritated.

"Silence." Tywin Lannister's voice rang out through the throne room, calling Dimeria back to attention.

"You were pointing a loaded crossbow at Sansa Stark while you tore at her clothes and beat her." Tyrion nearly growled at Meryn Trant, apparently Tyrion was beginning to get fed up with the guard's accusations

"Silence!" Tywin shouted again. Dimeria could feel the echo of his voice reverberating throughout her chest. "You will not speak unless called upon. You're dismissed, Ser Meryn."

The guard-who looked more like a rabid groundhog rather than a human being in Dimeria's opinion-stepped away and resumed his position of guarding. Slow, echoing shuffles filled the empty space in the throne room. Everyone knew it was time for Maester Pycelle's testimony. After what seemed like hours, Pycelle finally made it to the front of the room and was asked to list the poisons he had in his store.

"Basilisk venom, widow's blood, wolfsbane, essence of nightshade, sweetsleep…" Dimeria nearly felt herself falling asleep. "...tears of Lys, demon's dance, blind eye…"

"I think you have made your point, Grand Maester." Oberyn Martell interrupted. "You have a lot of poison in your store."

"_Had, _Prince Oberyn. My stores were plundered."

"By whom?" The Dornish Prince asked with a quirk of his eyebrow.

Pycelle turned his head-somewhat resembling a turtle- with surprise at the question that seemed to have an obvious answer in his opinion. "By the accused, of course. Tyrion Lannister. After he had me wrongfully imprisoned."

Pycelle in prison? Dimeria would have loved to see that.

"Grand Maester, you examined King Joffrey's corpse." Tywin interjected. "Was it without question poison that killed him?"

"Without question." Pycelle nodded in confirmation. He then brought up a necklace with several charms, one of them shattered and dangling in pieces. "This was found on the body of Dontos Hollard, the king's fool. He was last seen by Lady Dimeria as he was spiriting away Sansa Stark, the wife of the accused, away from the feast."

Dimeria flinched at the sound of her name. She hadn't expected to be involved whatsoever and she didn't want people to think of her when they thought of this trial. Guilt suddenly washed through her. Was she embarrassed of being affiliated with Tyrion? Being friends with Tyrion typically implied that she was against the crown and…well, she was, but it also meant that perhaps she should be on trial as well. Dimeria definitely didn't want that.

The guilt still crushed her chest. Was she betraying Tyrion? She didn't want to betray him; they were friends, but she also didn't want to be thrown in jail. What was more important?

_Not being executed…_She thought to herself.

Besides, if she were on trial like Tyrion was, he would definitely not have any chance of being rescued by Dimeria. Not that she had a plan right now, but the odds were better if she were free. That was it, then. It was better for both her, _and_ Tyrion if she remained a free woman. The only problem was her conscience.

"Sansa Stark wore this necklace the day of the wedding. Residue of a most rare and terrible poison was found inside." Maester Pycelle continued.

"Was this one of the poisons stolen from your store?" Tywin asked.

"It was. The Strangler. A poison few in the Seven Kingdoms possess. And used to strike down the most noble child the gods ever put on this good earth."

Dimeria would have gagged had Oberyn's voice not interrupted her disgust. "And what about Lady Dimeria?" He asked.

Pycelle looked taken aback. "What about her?"

"What was the extent of her involvement in this situation?"

Dimeria clenched her fists at her sides. What was Oberyn getting at? Fighting to keep her fear and anger under control, Dimeria bit her lip fiercely.

"Well," Pycelle considered his words. "Lady Dimeria was the one who saw Dontos Hollard taking Sansa Stark away. She pursued them."

"And then?" Oberyn urged him on. Dimeria could feel her cheeks heating up.

"Lady Dimeria went missing for several days. She was attacked from behind and suffered a nasty wound to her head, along with being poisoned by some sort of paralytic. There was not enough trace of the poison left for me to identify it."

Dimeria forced herself to take calming breaths. So far, so good…Pycelle hadn't revealed any incriminating evidence...had he?

"And the person who attacked Lady Dimeria...no one knows who it is?" Oberyn questioned.

"No." Pycelle answered.

Oberyn rubbed a hand across his chin and turned to his gaze to Dimeria; she could just about feel his penetrating hazel orbs, but she refused to look up from the ground. "So what you're saying is; there's another _unknown_ suspect in the murder of the late King Joffrey. Someone _other than_ Tyrion Lannister or Sansa Stark that wanted the King dead...perhaps the mastermind behind the plan."

Pycelle's raspy breathing quickened, whether from surprise or frustration, Dimeria did not know, for she herself was trying to process what Oberyn had just said.

"There is no doubt that Tyrion Lannister was the one who plotted this murder. Whether he had another accomplice or not, I cannot say, but the most important thing is to get to the root of the matter." Pycelle said.

"You are dismissed, Maester Pycelle." Lord Tywin said, though less forcefully than he had been speaking before.

The elderly maester shuffled away from the dais, but the sound did not irritate Dimeria like it normally did. Did Oberyn just help Tyrion? She couldn't wrap her head around it. Why would he help him? The Martells hated the Lannisters, or at least, that was what she had heard. Taking a deep breath, Dimeria finally noticed how much her heart had sped up during that small amount of time; it pounded and pounded within her chest like a stampede of horses.

After a matter of seconds, Dimeria finally risked raising her eyes. Emerald green orbs stared back at her. Dimeria immediately felt her muscles relax; she had nearly forgotten Jaime was even in the room, but she was utterly thankful that he was. His presence always had a calming effect on her. She didn't know exactly what it was, but she always felt safe around him. Jaime was her security blanket; the warm fire on a cold night, a refreshing breeze after a hot day. All it took was one glance, and Dimeria knew he would do everything possible to keep her safe.

Feeling her confidence renewed, Dimeria straightened her shoulders and sent Jaime a small smile. He returned the look and focused once more on the trial. It was Cersei's turn to speak against Tyrion, and Dimeria could nearly feel the temperature of the room drop.

"'I will hurt you for this.'" Cersei quoted Tyrion's words. "'A day will come when you think you are safe and happy and your joy will turn to ashes in your mouth and you will know the debt is paid.'"

Dimeria sighed; she had a feeling that Cersei had rehearsed this speech hundreds of times in her room.

"You own brother said this to you?" Mace Tyrell asked Cersei, an astounded look upon his rotund face.

"Shortly before the Battle of Blackwater Bay." Cersei explained. "I confronted him about his plans to put Joffrey on the front lines. As it turned out, when the attack came, Joffrey insisted on remaining at the battlements. He believed his presence would inspire the troops."

Dimeria rolled her eyes. The only thing Joffrey inspired was hatred.

"Tyrion said, 'and you will know the debt is paid.'" Cersei reiterated.

"What debt?"

Cersei clenched her slender hands together. "I discovered he'd been keeping whores in the Tower of the Hand." A collective gasp of disgust went through the crowd that not even Dimeria could blame them for.

"I asked him to confine his salacious acts to the brothel where such behavior belongs. He wasn't pleased."

"Thank you, Your Grace, for the courage of your testimony." Mace Tyrell commended her. With one last glare at her younger brother, Cersei left the dais.

The next person up: Lord Varys. Dimeria felt slightly comforted that Varys was the one speaking now; surely he wouldn't throw Tyrion to the pack of hungry dogs.

She was wrong.

"Do you remember the precise nature of this threat?" Mace Tyrell asked Varys.

Varys did not hesitate to answer, much to Dimeria's chagrin. "I'm afraid I do, my Lord. He said, 'Perhaps you should speak to me more softly, then. Monsters are dangerous and just now, kings are dying like flies.'"

"And he said this to you at a meeting of the small council?"

"Yes." Varys nodded. "After we received word of Robb Stark's death. He didn't seem gladdened by the news." Dimeria felt a pang stab through her heart, though she stifled the emotion deep down into the recesses of her mind.

"Perhaps his marriage to Sansa Stark had made him more sympathetic to the northern cause." Varys concluded.

"You're excused, Lord Varys." Tywin instructed.

Tyrion's voice suddenly popped up. "Father, may I ask the witness one question?"

The muscles within Tywin's jaw clenched and unclenched furiously. "One." He said through his teeth that were no doubt being ground to sand with tension.

Tyrion nodded his thanks as Varys turned back around to face him. "You once said that without me, this city would have faced certain defeat. You said the histories would never mention me, but you would not forget." Tyrion paused and searched the eunuch's face. "Have you forgotten, Lord Varys?"

A defeated look came upon Varys' face. "Sadly, my lord, I never forget a thing." With that last admission, Varys nodded at the other Lords sitting on the throne and left.

"We will adjourn for now." Tywin announced. "Toll the bells in an hour's time!"

…

Jaime thought he was going to explode. Everything was going against Tyrion, even Lord Varys. The only person that remotely helped his poor brother was Oberyn Martell! Jaime's mind was made up. He wouldn't let his brother die, not while he was still alive. Anger fueled his legs and before he knew it, Jaime was in front of his father pleading for Tyrion's life.

"You'd condemn your own son to death?" He accused Tywin.

"I've condemned no one. The trial is not over." Tywin answered, paying more attention to his food than to his son.

"This isn't a trial." Jaime scoffed. "It's a farce. Cersei has manipulated everything and you know it."

"I know nothing of the sort."

"You've always hated Tyrion."

"He killed his king." Tywin reasoned.

"As did I." Jaime retorted. Silence fell between father and son, neither of them willing to budge.

"Do you know the last order the Mad King gave me?" Jaime asked, breaking the silence. "To bring him your head. I saved your life so you could murder my brother?"

"It won't be murder. It'll be justice." Tywin said with a slight shrug.

"Justice?"

"I am performing my sworn duty as Hand of the King. If Tyrion is found guilty, he will be punished accordingly."

"He'll be executed." Jaime said.

"No, he'll be punished accordingly." Tywin corrected.

Jaime pursed his lips in frustration. "You once said family is what lives on. All that lives on. You told me about a dynasty that would last a thousand years. What happens to your dynasty when Tyrion dies?" Jaime posed a serious question. "I'm in the Kingsguard, forbidden by oath to carry on the family line."

"I'm well aware of your oath." Tywin grumbled, irritated at having been reminded of his son's inability to carry on the family name.

"What happens to your name?" Jaime continued. "Who carries the lion banner into future battles? Your nephews? Lancel Lannister?" He could see the revulsion on his father's face. "Others whose names I don't even remember?"

"What happens to my dynasty if I spare the life of my grandson's killer?"

Jaime took a deep breath. "It survives through me." Tywin finally looked at his son with full attention. "I'll leave the Kingsguard. I'll take my place as your son and heir if you let Tyrion live."

"Done." Tywin agreed.

Jaime nearly toppled backwards. "What?"

"When the testimony is concluded and a guilty verdict rendered, Tyrion will be given the chance to speak. He'll plead for mercy. I'll allow him to join the Night's Watch." Tywin recited in perfect order. "In three days' time, he'll depart for Castle Black and live out his days at the Wall."

Jaime was stunned into silence.

"You'll remove your white cloak immediately." Tywin began giving orders to Jaime now. "You will leave King's Landing to assume your rightful place at Casterly Rock. You will marry a suitable woman, and father children named Lannister. And you'll never turn your back on your family again."

No words came forth from Jaime. Had his father just agreed to spare Tyrion? Did he just resign from the Kingsguard? Could he actually get married now…?

"You're wondering if you can marry Dimeria." Tywin stated. Jaime felt heat rise to his cheeks. "I know how you feel about that girl; a blind man could spot it from a mile away."

"And?" Jaime asked, dreading what his father may say of Dimeria.

"She is a bastard."

"What does it matter as long as you have heirs?" Jaime questioned.

His question earned him a hard stare from Tywin, but Jaime would not back down from this subject...not when it came to Dimeria.

"We'll discuss it later." Tywin said. "You have my word."

Jaime forced a smile away from his face. "And you have mine."

…

"Not going well, is it?" Tyrion asked Dimeria rhetorically.

Dimeria offered a minuscule smile, though couldn't think of any words of comfort; Dimeria had never been good at comforting, not to mention that Tyrion probably didn't want to be soothed anyway.

"It'll be over soon." She said with a sigh.

"What will? The trial or my life?"

Dimeria glared at Tyrion, but couldn't find within herself to actually scold him for the comment; he had every right to be depressed. Moments later, Dimeria looked up to see Jaime marching up to them, a determined look upon his face.

"You're going to be found guilty." Jaime said under his breath.

Tyrion and Dimeria both stared at Jaime with disbelief. "Oh, you think so?" Tyrion asked sarcastically.

Jaime ignored him. "When you are, you need to enter a formal plea for mercy and ask to be sent to the Wall. Father's agreed to it." He said. "He'll spare your life and allow you to join the Night's Watch."

"Ned Stark was promised the same thing and we both know how that turned out." Tyrion said bitterly.

"Father is not Joffrey. He'll keep his word." Jaimes aid with certainty.

"How do you know?" Tyrion asked.

Jaime glanced at Dimeria before speaking. "Do you trust me?" Tyrion nodded almost imperceptibly. "Keep your mouth shut. No more outbursts." Jaime ordered. "This will all be over soon."

He walked away from Tyrion then, Dimeria immediately falling into step with him.

"What was that all about?" She asked when they were slightly more secluded.

Jaime turned to Dimeria with a look of contained excitement. "I made a deal with my father; he's going to spare Tyrion's life."

"What deal did you make?" Dimeria asked suspiciously.

Jaime opened his mouth to answer, but his father's voice interrupted him. "The crown may call its next witness!"

A sigh escaped Dimeria's mouth at the intrusion. "You didn't do anything stupid, did you? Like…"

Jaime stopped Dimeria before she could speculate any further. "Everything is fine, little warrior." He comforted. "It'll all be okay."

Dimeria relaxed at his words and released a breath she didn't realize she had been holding. With one last smile, Dimeria returned to her position to resume guarding, her heart skipping happily. _Jaime saved Tyrion!_ At what cost though? Jaime told her everything would be fine, but he could have just been saying that to keep her calm.

She pushed it from her mind. Whatever situation (mess) Jaime had gotten himself into, they would deal with it later. Tyrion's survival was all that mattered and even if he would continue living at the Wall, it would be better than being executed.

…

"The crown may call its next witness!"

She thought she was about to fall asleep until she heard Tywin Lannister's voice call for her presence. In less than a second blood was coursing through her veins and pounding in her head. Her eyes were no longer heavy and her brain was no longer conjuring up different daydreams; she was completely focused on the task at hand.

The stares from the crowd penetrated her, though she forced herself not regard them. Instead, she only looked forward. The imp had not turned to see who the next witness was; his forlorn form was hunched over on his bench, shrinking him down to an even smaller size.

His brother stared at her with shock. Good. She wanted everyone to know how dangerous she truly was; they had always underestimated her and now they would regret.

The bastard warrior stared at her with curiosity; she obviously had no clue who it was that the crown had called. It didn't surprise the witness; no one had ever paid attention to her before, but she knew they would now.

It felt like hours before she finally made it up to the dais before the throne, and Gods did she wish she could have seen the dwarf's face when she finally came into his line of vision! She forced herself to keep looking forward though, but she could feel the stunned emotions nearly pulsing from his small and deformed body.

She stepped up on the dais and looked Tywin Lannister in the eye; her moment had finally come.

"State your name." He ordered.

"Shae."

…

Dimeria didn't recognize the girl, but Tyrion and Jaime certainly did. Their faces of utter disbelief and distress gave Dimeria her first impression of the unfamiliar girl, but other than that she had nothing to go on.

"Do you swear by all the gods that your testimony will be true and honest?" Tywin asked her.

"I swear it." Shae answered.

Dimeria furrowed her brows at the foreign accent. Where was she from?

"Do you know this man?" Tywin continued questioning her.

"Yes. Tyrion Lannister."

"How do you know him?"

"I was handmaiden to his wife, Lady Sansa." Shae said with a slight tremor in her voice. She seemed rather nervous to be speaking in front of so many people.

Handmaiden to Sansa...how had Dimeria never noticed her before? Dimeria looked over to Tyrion; her heart nearly broke with what she saw. His eyes were empty of any and all emotion except utter despair. If a broken heart had a face, it would have been Tyrion's at the moment. But what Dimeria didn't understand was why.

"This man stands accused of murdering King Joffrey. What do you know of this?" Tywin asked Shae.

"I know that he's guilty. He and Sansa planned it together."

Dimeria's heart skipped a beat. Who the hell was this girl and why was she accusing Tyrion and Sansa?! The crowd voiced her own surprise quite loudly, bringing are loud demand for silence from Tywin.

"Continue." He said once the crowd had calmed down.

"Sansa wanted revenge for her father, mother, and brother. She blamed their deaths on the king." Shae explained like she was reciting a textbook. "Tyrion was happy to help. He hated Joffrey. He hated the queen."

Dimeria didn't understand; everyone hated Joffrey and probably Cersei. Why did Tyrion have to be singled out like this?

"He hated you, my lord." Shae said after a pause. "He stole poison from the Grand Maester's chamber to put in Joffrey's wine."

Oberyn suddenly spoke up. "How could you possibly know all of this? Why would he reveal such plans to his wife's maid?"

For once, Dimeria actually found herself thankful for Oberyn's presence. She saw Shae take a deep breath before answering his question:

"I wasn't just her maid." She paused once more. "I was his whore."

The crowd erupted with more comments of surprise again. Dimeria was only somewhat aware of Tyrion's promiscuity. Looking over to Tyrion for a second time, she observed the mortified expression and lines of regret upon his face.

"I beg your pardon?" Mace Tyrell stuttered, his face almost as red as his hair. "You said you were his…"

"His whore." Shae answered without embarrassment.

"How did you come to be in his service?" Tywin asked her, ignoring all of the immaturity going on through the crowd.

"He stole me. I was with another man, a king in you lordship's army. But when Tyrion arrived at the camp, he sent one of his cutthroats into our tent. He broke the knight's arm and brought me to Lord Tyrion." Shae said, not tripping over any of her words.

"'You belong to me now,' he said. 'I want you to fuck me like it's my last night in the world.'" Laughter burst from the crowd after Shae's quoting of Tyrion.

"Silence. Silence!" Tywin called out.

"And did you?" Oberyn asked once the crowd had quieted.

"Did I what?" Shae asked.

"Fuck him like it was his last night in this world?"

For the first time, Shae seemed nearly embarrassed. Dimeria frowned at his question and could only imagine what was going through Oberyn's mind when he looked at a whore like Shae. Dimeria's eyes turned once more to Tyrion.

"I did everything he wanted." Shae answered his question. "Whatever he told me to do to him; whatever he felt like doing to me. I kissed him where he wanted. I licked him where he wanted. I let him put himself where he wanted. I was his property."

Every word Shae uttered seemed to send Tyrion deeper and deeper into whatever black hole of misery he was currently orbiting through. Dimeria's heart ached for him; she had never seen poor Tyrion so hopeless.

Shae wasn't even finished: "I would wait in his chambers for hours so he could use me when he was bored. He ordered me to call him 'my lion,' so I did. I took his face in my hands and said, 'I am yours and you are mine.'"

A wave of murmurs coursed through the crowd.

"Shae." Tyrion muttered desperately. "Please don't."

And that's when Dimeria saw it: Tyrion loved Shae. She could see the heartbreak in Tyrion's eyes, could hear the anguish in his voice; this girl-this_ whore_\- held Tyrion's heart.

And she was ripping it into shreds. "I am a whore." Shae stated. "Remember?" She turned her back on Tyrion and faced the judges once more. "That was before he married Sansa. After that, all he wanted was her. But she wouldn't let him into her bed, so he promised to kill King Joffrey for her."

Out of nowhere, Cersei interjected her own question. "And you're sure they were the only two behind the plot?"

The judges heads turn to the Queen. "Queen Cersei, I believe it is only the judges that ask the questions." Oberyn reprimanded her.

"She can still answer the question, can she not?" Cersei said with a shrug.

All heads turned back to Shae. "Well?" Tywin prodded.

Shae pursed her lips. "There was one more."

A collective gasp from the crowd and nearly all those present stole almost all of the oxygen from the room. Tyrion raised his eyes to Shae, not understanding where she was going, but too disheartened to be surprised that some other tragedy was going to happen. But nothing could have prepared anyone for what was about to happen.

"Who was it?" Tywin asked.

The world stopped as everyone waited for Shae to answer.

"Lady Dimeria. She wanted to kill Joffrey...to get the Lannisters off the throne because she's...she's a Targaryen."


	55. Chapter 56

_**A/N: Hello everyone! Yes, it's been while. Yes, I feel badly. No, I did not give up on this story and I won't ever give up on this story. So there's that.**_

_**I spent this afternoon rereading my FanFic and realized that during my debacle of having to reorganize my chapters, I FORGOT TO UPLOAD ONE OF THEM. I was quite embarrassed, so I once again had to reorganize my chapters. Thank you everyone for the reviews on the previous chapter and I hope the cliffhanger didn't stress you out too much, but if it did...oh well.**_

**_There's quite a lot of fluff at the end of this chapter and I'm not entirely sure where it came from...it just sort of happened. I hope you enjoy!_**

* * *

"...she's...she's a Targaryen."

Dimeria thought her world had shattered into a million pieces-that her heart had stopped and her body had collapsed onto the floor. She thought she saw her entire life flash before her eyes and then burn into a worthless pile of cinders that blew away in the wind. She saw every single happy memory and every single wretched recollection wither away to nothingness as her life was now coming to an end. She saw the ones she cared for the most-Jaime, Tyrion, Robb, Jon- staring back into her darkening eyes; pity and heartbreak passing among them as her life reached its conclusion.

It all happened in a matter of seconds and when it truly sunk in that her identity had been revealed; Dimeria realized she hadn't spoken a word, hadn't moved an inch, and certainly had not died. Everyone in the throne room turned to look at her and she found that she could not say a word in her own defense; she was simply in too much shock.

Jaime had expected to hear Dimeria scream in outrage, but her mouth did not open one bit; and that's when he knew how terrified she really was. He struggled to keep his position but he knew he had to; whisking Dimeria away would only make things looks worse. Gripping the handle of his sword until his knuckles turned white; Jaime sent up prayers to whatever gods may have existed.

Before any of the judges could say a word of Shae's accusation towards Dimeria, Tyrion stood up from his bench on the dais, his anger radiating brighter than the sun. How could they do this? To him..to Dimeria...it was ridiculous! Rage was all Tyrion knew, was all he could see. How had things gotten so bad that it was no longer just his life in question, but Dimeria's. She didn't deserve it and neither did Tyrion, but the dwarf knew he had no hope; he hadn't had a chance of living a good life since the day he had come into the world.

And that's what angered him the most. Why were cards _always _stacked against him; why did everyone hate him?! It didn't matter, none of it mattered anymore; the people hated Tyrion, he despised them; it was all just an endless cycle of animosity, and he just couldn't handle it anymore.

He didn't remember standing up, but all of a sudden he was facing his father with determination. "She did not do it." Tyrion growled.

"What?" Tywin asked.

"Lady Dimeria did not do it." Tyrion reiterated.

Tywin sat straighter in the throne. "Is this a confession?"

Tyrion screwed up his face. "No." He spat out. "Dimeria did not do it. _I_ did not do it. I did not kill Joffrey, but I wish that I had." Absolute rage took control of Tyrion. Dimeria could not quite decide if she was thankful-thankful that the attention was now being directed at Tyrion-or fearful-fearful for Tyrion's life.

"Watching your vicious bastard die gave me more relief than a thousand lying whores." Tyrion directed at Cersei before turning to address the crowd in attendance. "I wish I was the monster you think I am. I wish I had enough poison for the whole pack of you. I would gladly give my life to watch you all swallow it."

He seemed to be having some sort of mental breakdown, finally allowing every ounce of pain and anger to flow from her body. Common people sitting on the benches gasped and fidgeted anxiously, judges of the trial gripped the armrests on their chairs bitterly, while Jaime, Dimeria, and all of the other guards gripped the hilts of their swords until their knuckles turned white.

"Ser Meryn. Ser Meryn!" Tywin Lannister called out over the crowd whose cries and comments were getting louder and louder. "Escort the prisoner back to his cell."

"I will _not_ give my life for Joffrey's murder." Tyrion growled out as he turned back to his father. "And I know I'll get no justice here, so I will let the gods decide my fate."

Dimeria furrowed her brows in confusion.

"I demand a trial by combat."

…

As Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, Jaime was allowed to sit in on all meetings of the Small Council. The meeting that followed the chaos of Tyrion's trial, however, was the first time Jaime had been ordered to wait _outside_ of the small council chamber. A multitude of emotions boiled within his mind. He first considered it to be an insult; how dare they keep the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard in the dark! But once his pathetically wounded pride gave way to real concerns, it became of matter of fear. Jaime hated not knowing what fate of his little brother and of Dimeria would be. And the fact that Cersei-the one who seemed to hate Tyrion and Dimeria the most-was sitting in on the meeting scared him immensely.

Several times Jaime heard raised voices come from the room, but the door separating him from the small council members was too thick for him to make out any of the muffled voices; though he had a feeling that if anyone was raising their voice, it would be Tywin or Cersei...but most likely Cersei.

After Tyrion's outburst, the guards dragged him back to his prison cell and the commoners were pushed out of the throne room in a chaotic storm. Jaime desperately tried to reach Dimeria but by the time he made it through the immense throng of people, Dimeria was already gone. Jaime was later informed she had been thrown-literally-into her personal chambers and was being guarded by two members of the Kingsguard.

In the middle of the uproar, Jaime's father had bellowed above the crowd for all members of the Small Council to meet in his chambers. Jaime had of course followed and was rudely surprised when his father ordered him to stay outside and guard the door. And so that's where he had been for the past hour or so, though it felt like days to Jaime.

He cursed Shae. Everything had been going well-as well as the situation allowed-and then she had to be called as witness. Who had even tracked that whore down anyway? From the moment she stepped up onto the dais Jaime knew everything he had just negotiated with his father was ruined. Tyrion's life was even more forfeit than had been previously and then Shae dropped the bombshell of Dimeria's heritage.

Jaime's heart sank when he remembered Dimeria's face when her secret had been revealed. He had only seen Dimeria look so completely hopeless once before, and it was a time he did not enjoy thinking about. In that moment he became fiercely protective, paralyzingly fearful, and heartbreakingly sad. No matter what was being discussed in the Small Council, the chances of Jaime's relatively normal future with Dimeria were slim to none.

Tywin was correct when he assumed Jaime immediately thought of Dimeria when he thought of marriage; the two went hand in hand for Jaime now. It was strange to admit to himself at that moment, but he finally realized that he did want to marry Dimeria. It was an unsettling feeling and one that Jaime decided not to dwell upon, especially since marriage was officially out of the question.

Despondent and simply exhausted, Jaime leaned against the wall. He was the youngest Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, but he in no way, shape or form felt young at the moment; in fact, Jaime believed the way he felt resembled the way Maester Pycelle looked. Jaime gripped the pommel of his sword for some semblance of reassurance and was sent back to much simpler times in his mind. Moments where the only things he worried about was tired muscles from a long sparring session. What he would have given at that moment to go live days like with Dimeria; to train with Dimeria, to argue with her, to exchange sarcastic remarks with her, and then to walk along the shores of Casterly Rock. In an ideal world he would have had all of that and then a little brother to write to about all of his adventures.

But Jaime didn't live in an ideal world; he had been aware of that for the past decade or so because of his relationship with Cersei. How could he hope to have a happy life after committing such horrible atrocities for so long? This was his penance, he realized; suffering through Dimeria and Tyrion's dejected fates was Jaime's penance for past mistakes, and he only had himself to blame.

In a sudden burst of motion, the door to the chamber flew open and Jaime saw a very brief glimpse of his sister's blonde lockes fly down the hall. The rest of small council members followed behind, though at a much slower pace, with Pycelle shuffling along in his customary way. Oberyn Martell threw Jaime a smirk as he made his way out the door; Jaime recognized the same arrogance that he once had himself and briefly wondered when he had stopped flaunting his pompousness.

"Jaime." Tywin's voice called out to his eldest son.

Swallowing his fears and doubts, Jaime placed the mask of indifference that he had worn for so many years and strolled into the Small Council chamber. He met his father's harsh eyes with a raised brow. He knew his father was going to ask him what he knew about Dimeria and for some reason, Jaime felt slight trepidation at the thought of having to lie to his father.

"Sit." Tywin told him.

"I prefer standing." Jaime said nonchalantly.

Tywin pursed his lips with disapproval but did not push the matter any further. "You look shocked." He stated.

"As did you just an hour or so ago." Jaime retorted.

A sigh escaped Tywin's lungs. "I suppose you're wondering why I didn't allow you to sit in on this meeting."

"And I suppose you're going to tell me." Jaime said bitterly; he was in no mood to be toyed with.

Tywin clenched his fists. "You're too biased about Lady Dimeria."

Jaime didn't bother denying it, but he didn't hide the resentment he felt for being punished for it. "Your point being?"

"Did you know?" Tywin finally got to the heart of the matter.

"Know what?" Jaime stalled. His heart clenched as he realized he was going to have to lie his ass off to save Dimeria. To Jaime, there was a fine line between lying and just...not telling the truth. For decades he had been an expert at not telling the truth; he did it with Cersei. He never technically _lied_ about his relationship with his twin; he just never told anyone about it. And the same with Dimeria: he didn't lie about who she was, he just never told her.

"Don't play stupid, Jaime." Tywin scolded.

Jaime sighed. "I didn't know." The fib came easily from Jaime's mouth; he supposed that since he was lying to save Dimeria's life, it made things fairly simple.

"I knew she was a bastard, everyone did, but I never knew who her actual parents were." Jaime elaborated for his father.

Tywin considered his words. "Are you aware if _she_ had any knowledge of her own heritage?"

Jaime shrugged his shoulders. "She may have. She came here looking for information about her parents, but I don't know if she made any progress." Jaime forced himself to say everything as calmly as possible. "If she knew who her parents were, she never told me."

"Would she have told you?"

Relief edged it's way into Jaime's mind as he was finally able to tell the truth about something. "Yes. We tell each other everything."

Tywin stared at his son, making Jaime feel as if his father was looking straight into his soul, but he kept himself calm; he had mastered the art of deceptive body language over the years.

"What have you decided?" Jaime asked.

"I still have questions for you." Tywin ignored the question.

Green eyes narrowed angrily at his father. "Then ask them." He gritted out through his teeth.

"Do you believe that Lady Dimeria is a Targaryen?"

"No."

"And why is that?"

"All the Targaryens are either dead or exiled." Jaime said matter-of-factly. "Are you really going to take the word of a whore?"

Tywin narrowed his eyes as well. "Your sister seems to believe wholeheartedly that she is of Targaryen blood."

"Cersei believes anything that strengthens her hold on the bloody iron throne." Jaime said with frustration.

"She seems to be the only one concerned with this family's legacy." Tywin countered.

"Have you already forgotten the deal we made earlier today? I believe it was me who agreed to give you an heir to Casterly Rock."

"Yes, with a supposed Targaryen."

"Based on what proof?" Jaime's heart was racing within his chest. How much longer was this going to go on? All he wanted was some knowledge as to what the Small Council had decided.

Tywin had one last question to ask. "You would do anything to protect this girl, wouldn't you?"

Jaime didn't even have to think about the answer. "Yes."

A moment of silence passed with father and son. "You may go." Tywin finally said.

"What did you decide?" Jaime asked stubbornly.

His father stood from the large wooden table and began organizing things within his chamber. Jaime followed him until he got his answer.

"There will be a trial for Lady Dimeria a fortnight after Tyrion's trial by combat."

"And she is supposed to spend that time where? In the dungeons?" Jaime questioned, fury lacing his voice.

"No." Tywin surprised his son with his answer. "There is no set proof that she is a Targaryen, and your sister seems to be the only one that believes her to be a threat."

A tightness that Jaime had grown accustomed within his chest released and he let out a deep sigh, not even bothering to hide his relief from his father.

"She will be watched carefully by other Kingsguard members along with yourself." Tywin informed. "I see no reason to lock her up for something that is only speculated. Besides, running away would only solidify people's beliefs that she is a Targaryen."

Jaime internally cursed at the deception in disguise, but it was better than having Dimeria thrown into a jail cell like Tyrion. Satisfied with the decision, Jaime left his father and made his way to Dimeria's chambers, his feet moving as quickly as his flurrying heart.

…

During the long hours Dimeria had spent pacing within her room, she had racked up about five miles altogether. She had thought about climbing out of her window, but she was far too high; she considered overpowering the guards for she knew she could do it, but she also knew that by the time she made it outside of the keep, the entire Kingsguard would have rounded up to stop her.

What was going to happen to her? Were they going to throw her in the dungeons, or rid themselves of the trouble and just behead her? Her heart was pounding. What about her dragons? Thank the gods that whore hadn't mentioned anything about them. What if they found them, though? The thought of someone killing her dragons terrified her.

How had this happened?! She knew it seemed horrible, but Dimeria couldn't help but wonder why all the attention had to shift to her; it was supposed to be Tyrion's trial: not hers! The anxious warrior didn't even bother trying to calm herself down; she knew it was useless.

The twisting of her door handle pulled Dimeria from her thoughts. _Here they come…_ She thought to herself. Tywin Lannister and five Kingsguard members were about to march right through her door and execute Dimeria in her own chambers. She clenched her fists fearfully and forced herself to face her fate as bravely as possible.

"Dimeria?" Jaime said as he walked through the door.

It was Jaime...oh, thank the Gods it was Jaime!

Tears sprang to Dimeria's eyes as her breath caught in her throat. Apparently several hours had passed since the trial, for Jaime had shed his Kingsguard armor and was now wearing much more simple attire. Jaime shut the door behind him and strode over to Dimeria to envelope her in the biggest hug she had ever received. She clutched at his shoulders like a small child, part of her mind berating her for behaving so pathetically; the other part just giving up and telling her to do so as well. Burying her face in Jaime neck, Dimeria struggled to keep her breathing under control.

"I have to leave, Jaime." She whsipered.

Jaime tightened his hold on her. "You can't."

"I _have_ to." Dimeria said, pulling back from their embrace.

"Dimeria, if you leave you'll only be proving Shae right." Jaime explained.

"That whore has a name?" Dimeria said, rolling her blue eyes.

"That whore has your life hanging by a thread right now."

Dimeria turned her back on Jaime and went to the window. He made to follow her, but knew she needed a moment to digest his words. Jaime watched her retreating figure, taking notice of every detail for fear that he would one day never see them again; the way the end of her braid brush just below her back, the way she walked on the balls of her toes, the way her muscles flexed as she clenched her hands anxiously: Jaime didn't want to forget one little thing.

"How did she know?" Dimeria asked quietly.

Jaime shrugged, though Dimeria couldn't even see him. "I don't know. She was Tyrion's whore, but I don't think he would have told her any of that." He said. They were both speaking in hushed tones out of fear that there were still guards outside her door.

"What happened at the Small Council meeting?" Dimeria questioned, trying to focus her mind back on concrete evidence. Jaime was right: she couldn't leave, but if she had to stick around, she sure as hell was going to do whatever she could to ensure she would be safe.

"They've decided to hold a trial for you a fortnight after Tyrion's trial by combat." Jaime said.

Dimeria cringed at the reminder of Tyrion's trial. It was heartbreaking that the dwarf's situation had become so dire that he had to resort to chance to decide his fate. Dimeria wished she could have believed that Tyrion had a 50/50 chance at winning his combat, but that would have implied that he could fight, and Tyrion _definitely_ could not fight. She sighed at the realization that Tyrion's future somehow managed to grow even more hopeless.

"Gods, what am I going to do?" Dimeria said, completely exasperated.

Jaime stepped forward then and spun her around to face him. Seeing that Dimeria was about to bite her lip raw, he gently ran his thumb along the edge of her mouth the draw her lip out of her teeth. "They don't have any proof. No matter how hard they try, they won't be able to find any concrete evidence." Jaime said sternly in order to convince himself and Dimeria.

"Everything's going to be fine, little warrior."

Not knowing what else to do, Dimeria allowed herself to believe every word that Jaime said. Gods, she was angry; she was angry, scared, and was starting to feel completely helpless. All she wanted was some comfort. She wanted to feel like everything was going to be okay in the end. Dimeria realized that no matter how much she hoped for it, this wasn't going to have a happy ending. If only she could ignore what was happening, just completely detach herself from Tyrion's life; then it would stop hurting. She would finally be able to stop worrying.

She wanted to forget everything, to find some sort of distraction, but she just didn't know how. Drawing her eyes up to Jaime's to find some source of reassurance, Dimeria felt the sudden urge to kiss him…

So she did.

Every other time Jaime had kissed her, all thoughts flew from her mind; she could hardly even think from the moment their lips met, and so it was when she started the contact this time. The kiss surprised both Jaime and herself, but she pushed the wonder away from her mind; Dimeria didn't want to think at the the moment: she wanted to just feel.

Wrapping her arms around Jaime's neck, Dimeria attacked his lips passionately; and it didn't take long for Jaime to match her ferocity. He didn't know why Dimeria was doing it, but it didn't matter; Jaime longed for the same distraction that Dimeria seemed to be searching for. Desire was all that dictated their actions; they pressed their bodies together until their clothes were the only thing between them and it still didn't seem to be enough. Their bodies were at the beck and call of each other; when Jaime nipped at Dimeria's bottom lip, she allowed him entrance into her mouth; when Dimeria ran her hands up and down Jaime's muscular chest, he quickly shed his leather jerkin from his body.

Yes. This was what Dimeria needed. There was no longer any room in her mind to think about anything except for how good Jaime made her feel. She was breathless from the attack of Jaime's experienced lips and moaned thankfully when he moved to her neck and throat. Her nerve endings were on fire and a tight ball of yearning had knotted up within her stomach. She could no longer keep up with what was happening; her warrior instinct wad been completely overridden with longing that Jaime always ignited within her. Part of Dimeria knew that this was dangerous, but the voice in her head that told her to be careful was diminishing with every kiss Jaime placed on her skin and with every groan that left her mouth. If this was what it took to forget all the shit that was going on in her life, then so be it.

Jaime didn't think he could ever get enough of Dimeria; her lips, her soft skin, her wandering hands, the moans that left her delectable mouth. His initial surprise as to why Dimeria suddenly began seeking affection flew from Jaime's mind immediately; it was all about the pleasure now, and Dimeria appeared to be more than willing to both give and receive the same satisfaction.

All voices of reason were gone from both the warriors' minds and before they knew it, Jaime had lifted Dimeria onto her bed and was pinning her to mattress. A haze thicker than any fog had settled over Dimeria's head, blocking out every possible thought that even tried to break through. Shock erupted into her body as Jaime's hand snaked it's way up her shirt; bare skin on bare skin. Her eyes shot open as memories poured through her lust-filled haze and broke open a dam of memories. Images of horrible violations flooded her mind and her muscles immediately tensed up and Jaime immediately stopped his pleasurable ministrations.

"What is it?" He asked Dimeria, his voice deep and husky.

"Nothing." Dimeria almost whined. Gods, she hated herself. Just when she thought all the worries she had carried upon her shoulders were gone, they came right back and ruined everything. Why couldn't she just forget it?

Jaime sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He straightened Dimeria's tunic back out and tried to help her sit up, though she tried to protest.

"Jaime, don't." She tried stopping him; all she wanted was to forget, why couldn't she just do it?!

"Dimeria." Jaime scolded. "I want this as much as you seemed to right there, but…" He sighed once more and sat back on his haunches to put space between the two of them. "you're not ready for this."

Seven hells, Dimeria didn't know how much she could take. Not only did horrid memories resurface, but now she was horribly embarrassed. She sat up and leaned back against the post on her bed.

"What just happened?" Jaime suddenly asked with an exasperated laugh.

Tears appeared in the corner of Dimeria's eyes. "I don't know, I just…" She covered her face with her hands. "Everything that's happened since we got here, everything that's happening now...I just wanted to forget all of it."

"And you figured sex would do that?" Jaime asked quietly. There was no judgment in his voice, just pure curiosity.

Dimeria shrugged. "I guess so."

Jaime reached out and grabbed one of Dimeria's hands from her face and sat down next to her on the bed. "I don't want that with you, Dimeria."

"What?" She asked incredulously.

"I want something more than that, Dimeria." Jaime explained. "I don't want something heat of the moment that doesn't mean anything. I've had enough of that." His green eyes bore into Dimeria's. "I want something special."

Dimeria was utterly taken aback. These were words that every woman wanted to hear and the man that meant the most to her was saying them to her, yet she still didn't feel better. His words didn't take away the pain and the worry; they just produced more guilt and embarrassment that she didn't think was possible to feel until that very moment.

Jaime could see the suffering in her eyes; he could see it in the way she bit her lip to try to keep her emotions under control and Jaime suddenly knew the reason she was seeking some sort of release: Dimeria had been bottling up every single emotion for months now and things just kept getting worse and worse. He put his arm around her tense shoulders and leaned his head against hers. She wanted to resist it, Dimeria felt pathetic for letting her emotions get the best of her like this and she just wanted to be left alone, but Jaime would not relent. He gathered her into his arms and said:

"I know this goes against your instinct, little warrior, but sometimes it helps to just cry."

At right at that moment, the dams broke loose once again and Dimeria sobbed her heart out.

* * *

_**I told you there was fluff.**_

_**Remember to leave reviews, my lovely readers!**_

_**Until next time...**_


	56. Chapter 57

_**A/N:**__** Sorry for the long wait, AGAIN. Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who reviewed and to all of my new followers. You guys are literally so awesome. I'm hoping to get back into a more consistent writing pace that way I can actually reply to everyone personally like I used to. Thanks again for sticking with me!**_

* * *

The wrenching sobs that escaped from Dimeria's mouth racked Jaime's heart. He held onto her shaking body tightly as she buried her face into the crook of his neck and they slid down into a lying position on her bed. Jaime could tell that Dimeria was an ugly crier, but he supposed that was due to the fact she didn't typically allow herself this heavy of an emotional release. Still, the Kingsguard warrior was slightly apprehensive to look at the wet spot that would be on his tunic when Dimeria stopped crying.

After quite a while, the quaking sobs ceased and Dimeria was reduced to shaky breaths and slight whimpers. Never had the brave warrior felt so small in Jaime's arms. Acting on the anxiety he had been feeling for the past few minutes, Jaime got up to ensure there weren't any guards outside Dimeria's door. He had ordered them away when he first entered the room, but since his father wanted Dimeria under some sort of observation; Jaime feared they were still out there.

"Jaime, please don't go." Dimeria hoarsely whispered when he got up.

He shushed her softly. "I'm not going anywhere." It only took him a moment to look both ways down the hall and feel reassured that no one was eavesdropping on them. He then climbed back into the bed and wrapped his arms around Dimeria once again.

"Lannister, I'm sorry-" Dimeria began, though Jaime quickly cut her off.

"Sleep, Dimeria." Jaime told her sternly. "You need to rest." Sensing the surprise and hurt he had caused with his words, Jaime placed a soft kiss upon her brow to soften the blow. "I'll be right here...just sleep."

Without another word, Dimeria rolled over on her side and Jaime followed suit to hold her from behind. It seemed to only take seconds for Dimeria's breathing to deepen into a peaceful sleep, though the same could not be said for Jaime. His eyes remained open as he breathed in Dimeria's scent over and over while a part of him wished he could cry just as Dimeria had, but no tears came to his eyes. He wanted to rid his heart of the same weight Dimeria surely felt, but he knew it would never be as easy as just crying every night he went to sleep. The only way Jaime could truly rid himself of his troubles was to face them head on; he only wished that Dimeria would realize the same thing.

Jaime stifled a sigh so he wouldn't wake Dimeria. He was still trying to wrap his mind around what had just transpired. Instead of handling her problems head on, Dimeria had tried to forget about them through sex. Jaime inwardly groaned; King's Landing was apparently having a horrible effect upon Dimeria. It hurt when Dimeria had confessed what she was truly thinking when she had kissed Jaime; he wanted to have sex with Dimeria, but not the way it almost happened. Deep down, what Jaime had always wanted was what the septas always told young girls stories about: he wanted to make love to Dimeria.

But Dimeria wasn't ready for that...she was far from ready. Jaime could wait; he didn't necessarily have a choice, but it wasn't the sex, or lack thereof that was bothering him now. It was time for Dimeria to grow up. Jaime needed her to get her head screwed on straight or else she would never come out of this alive. Things were going horribly, Jaime was well aware of that, but when disaster struck, he expected Dimeria to know that she needed to react calmly.

Jaime unconsciously tightened his arms around Dimeria. She was a warrior and she needed to start using her warrior instincts; not turn into a damsel in distress. Not knowing how long he had laid there pondering his situation with Dimeria, Jaime's eyes finally began weighing down with exhaustion. Before long, his mind shut out all negative thoughts and he succumbed to a deep, deep sleep.

…

Dimeria awoke from a slightly fitful slumber, slipped quietly from Jaime's arms, and immediately began pacing about her room. She bit her lip and twirled a strand of hair around her finger. Gods she was embarrassed! She could hardly look over in Jaime's direction without feeling her cheeks heat up feverishly. Her mind scolded her harshly.

_You idiot!_

I know.

_Sex isn't going to get rid of your problems…_

I'm aware.

_Then why'd you do it?!_

I don't know!

_You better get your act together, little warrior…_

I'm trying.

_Not hard enough…_

Dimeria sighed and went to her window. Ignoring the fact that her inner argument made her feel insane, Dimeria forced herself to accept that her subconscious was right: she needed to get her life back in order. Well...in as much order as she possibly could in a place like King's Landing.

The horrid stench from the city drifted through her window and caused Dimeria to scrunch her nose in disgust, much like the way she cringed at her behavior the night before. She spun away from the window and resumed her pacing. She was restless, though Dimeria felt that the word was an understatement of how she truly felt; she wanted to punch something. A humorless laugh escaped her mouth; if only she had just hit something last night instead of throwing herself at Jaime.

Dimeria risked a glance at Jaime's sleeping form and felt a gush of warm emotions radiate throughout her chest, though it was quickly consumed by searing anger. Giving in to her physical urge, Dimeria stomped over to the wall and punched it with all her might.

She quickly regretted it.

Gasping in pain and clutching her hand tightly, Dimeria began mentally berating herself once more.

_That wasn't very smart, was it…?_

Shut up.

_You better hope they're not broken…_

They aren't.

_Oh, now look what you've done. You woke up Jaime!_

Dimeria looked over and saw Jaime sitting up in bed and rubbing the sleep out of his emerald eyes.

"Are you alright? What was that noise?" Jaime asked through a yawn.

"It was nothing, I'm fine." Dimeria snapped.

Jaime lifted a brow at her. "Really? You don't sound like you're okay."

"Then why did you ask?!" Dimeria said with clenched teeth; it was a lot easier, not to mention much less painful, to take her anger out on Jaime rather than her hand.

Green eyes narrowed dangerously at Dimeria. "I'm going to ask you one more time: what's your problem?"

"What do you think, Lannister?!"

"I assume you're referring to the trial yesterday." Jaime said, getting out of bed.

"I must say, you are an observant one, Lannister." Dimeria grumbled as she began pacing once again, while still gingerly holding her throbbing hand.

Jaime struggled to reign in his frustration. Taking a deep breath, he went to obstruct her path of pacing. "Dimeria," Jaime grabbed her shoulders. "I understand you're stressed, but you are testing my patience."

Dimeria squirmed away from him. "Could you stop treating me like a child?"

"Could you stop acting like one?" He countered.

His words struck a chord within Dimeria. She looked down shamefully. "I'm sorry." She mumbled.

Finally noticing how Dimeria was cradling her hand, Jaime grabbed her wrist and inspected it gently after seeing her wince in pain. "What did you do?"

"Punched a wall…"

Jaime scoffed. "Are you serious?"

"I was angry." Dimeria said with a shrug.

Shaking his head, Jaime smirked and kissed her quickly swelling knuckles. "There, all better." He said arrogantly.

Dimeria snatched her hand away. "I don't think it works that way, Lannister."

"Are they broken?" Jaime asked, resuming his seriousness.

She shook her head. "No...Just sore."

"Well that's your own fault."

"I'm aware." She said derisively. Gods, he was beginning to sound like that annoying little voice in her head that she always argued with.

"How are you feeling?" Jaime asked.

"Better, now that I've punched something." Dimeria said with a smirk.

Jaime frowned. He hated the idea of Dimeria hurting herself to get rid of her anger almost as much as he hated what she had tried to do the previous night.

"We should talk about last night, little warrior." Jaime said.

Dimeria's face immediately dropped. "No, we shouldn't."

"And why not?"

"Because it was a mistake...an embarrassing one at that." Dimeria said with a sigh as she ran her hand through her hair. Lifting her blue eyes to Jaime's green, Dimeria was instantly comforted when she saw he wasn't mocking her, nor was he angry.

"Look, I was stressed and being stupid. I should've known better than to handle the situation like that." Dimeria admitted, though she could literally feel her throat constricting at her admission of being wrong. "I'm sorry."

Jaime could have screamed for joy. Thank the gods Dimeria had come to her senses; now he didn't have to bring her to them himself.

"Hm, two apologies in one morning. That's a new record." Jaime smirked, deciding he should rid the atmosphere of the awkward tension and put Dimeria out her misery.

Dimeria allowed herself to smile. "Don't get used to it, Lannister."

Knowing that the happy mood would have to end, Jaime sighed and grabbed Dimeria's uninjured hand. "I should go. Things are going to be hectic today."

Dimeria nodded. "What are they going to do with me?"

"I'm sure my father will have you escorted to a Small Council to officially fill you in on what they've decided. Don't worry," Jaime said, stepping forward a place a kiss on Dimeria's forehead. "we're going to get through this together. Alright?"

Another nod was all Dimeria had to offer and without another word, Jaime left her alone in her room.

…

"The Lord Hand has requested that Lady Dimeria be observed at all times." Jaime told the other Kingsguard members.

"Why doesn't he just lock her up with the imp?" Meryn Trant asked spitefully.

Jaime's lips pursed tightly. "Because she has not actually committed a crime."

A displeased scoff sounded from Meryn Trant. "Why do we have to watch her? You seem to spend enough time with her on your own."

"One man can only do so much. I may be a Lannister, but I do have some limits." Jaime tried to blow off the hideous man's remark. No other words were spoken from the other guards. "You're all dismissed." Jaime announced.

The gold cloaks filed out all at once, except for Meryn Trant. "You won't be able to protect the bitch forever, Ser Jaime." He growled out.

Jaime hardly flinched. "Lady Dimeria does not need my protection. You would do well to remember that, Ser Meryn."

Beady eyes glinting with malicious intent glared at Jaime for a few more agonizing seconds before Trant left Jaime alone. Never before had Jaime so badly wanted to eviscerate that man than he did now, but he wisely pushed the notion from his mind. Straightening his broad shoulders, Jaime decided to do his rounds about the castle; he desperately needed something to occupy his mind for the time being. Within a few short minutes of his patrol, a young handmaiden came scurrying up to him.

"His Grace has ordered a Small Council meeting." She squeaked out quickly.

Jaime furrowed his brows. "His Grace? You mean Lord Tywin?"

The small girl shook her head. "No, My Lord. King Tommen." She then turned around and padded away in the direction she came from. At a quicker pace than he had been walking before, Jaime began making his way to the Small Council chamber, all the while wondering why on earth Tommen would be requesting a meeting.

…

Dark clouds blocked the sun, though Dimeria doubted it would rain. For all the time she had been in King's Landing, there had never been any sort of precipitation; the Red Keep was constantly in a state of drought. Dimeria had patiently waited in her room for most of the day, for she had expected to be brought before the Small Council, but no summons had come.

The room began stifling her as she desperately wished something would happen, _anything_ that would give her something to focus on other than the fact that her life was balancing on a tightrope for the moment. The stench from the city wafted into her face from the window, helping Dimeria decide that she needed what little fresh air that King's Landing had to offer. She made it out of her door and into the hallway, only to be blocked by two Kingsguard members who had been silently guarding her room.

"I'm just taking a walk, or is that suddenly a criminal act now, too?" She asked venomously.

Statues stared back at her in silence, so she simply stalked ahead of them with seething anger knowing that they would follow closely behind her. Dimeria made it to the rose gardens while suffering through many fearful and hateful stares; she suddenly had a good feeling of how Jaime felt for most of his life. The flourishing hedges secluded her from the chaos of the outside world; had the guards not been directly behind her, Dimeria would have been in complete peace.

Red and orange roses blossomed beautifully about her and their scent was strong enough to almost mask odor of the city. Dark clouds above Dimeria cast cool shadows upon the ground intermittently; the breeze blew her hair back and brought goosebumps to her skin. Dimeria slowed her pace and forced herself to calm her racing heartbeat.

_Everything is going to be okay…_ Dimeria tried to tell herself-at least she wasn't in prison.

Her bleak thoughts immediately turned to Tyrion; he was in the dungeons...rotting in his own feces and having to deal with his upcoming death all by himself. Dimeria turned a corner, her eyes cast down to the ground in depression when she ran into one of the king's gardeners.

"Oh, excuse me, I'm sorry…" She muttered weakly.

"Not to worry, my lady." The man smiled at her. He was elderly, his skin worn and leathery and telling of the long years he had spent in this life. His eyes seemed to sparkle as he looked at Dimeria and she felt a sense of calm wash over her. His shoulders were hunched over and his hands were calloused from years and years of gardening.

"It's a beautiful day for some time in the gardens." He said kindly, gesturing to the hedges around them. The kindness with which he spoke informed Dimeria that he apparently had no clue of what she had been accused of.

"Yes, it is." She agreed, forcing a smile to her face. She suddenly noticed the basket of roses at his side. "Cutting the flowers?"

The man nodded with another smile. "They're too lovely not to use as decorations." He turned back to the hedges and produced a small knife from his pocket. "Here," he said as he sheared two roses, one red and one orange, and handed them to Dimeria. "a pretty flower for a pretty lady."

A genuine smile stretched across Dimeria's face. The kindness this man radiated absolutely enthralled her. There was no awkward, sexual undertone to his compliment; just sweet intent and a cheerful grin.

Dimeria said a soft thank you to the gardener and went on her way, all the while holding the roses to her nose and sniffing them happily. The guards behind her were now in the back of her mind as she gazed at the sun setting in the west. A glorious orange sphere of flame unleashed bright hues of red and fuschia, but Dimeria did not need to squint her eyes to look; it was almost as if the sun had removed its blinding rays and revealed its dazzling beauty upon the world. The sky soon began to darken though, and no twinkling stars could be seen as night began to shroud the magnificent mirage of warm colors from the sun. When the last flame of fire had diminished from the sky, Dimeria heaved a heavy sigh and turned to resume her walking back into the castle.

It didn't take long for dread to cloud her mind as she walked past flickering flames and shadows. The footsteps of the guards echoed behind her, bringing irritation to Dimeria's mind as she thought of how incompetent they truly were. Anxious to get to her room and away from the lurking gargoyles behind her, Dimeria quickened her pace. Her sigh of relief was cut short when she saw Jaime pacing anxiously in front of her door.

Why hadn't he just gone into her room?

"Lady Dimeria…" He called out when he saw her.

Dimeria flinched at her title. "Yes…?"

"You've been requested to be at a Small Council meeting." Jaime said, his posture rigid as a tree trunk.

Dimeria nodded her consent and eyed Jaime warily; why was he acting so strange?

"I'll take it from here, gentleman." Jaime informed the two guards behind Dimeria. He didn't wait for an answer and immediately began walking down the hall, making Dimeria struggle to catch up with him.

"What's going on, Lannister?" Dimeria asked once they were out of earshot of the other guards.

"You'll find out soon enough." He muttered. He kept on walking in silence, Dimeria struggling to keep up with his lengthy strides.

Nearly jogging to stay at the same pace, Dimeria peered at Jaime's face; his skin was pale, making his green eyes shine brilliantly, though Dimeria could not tell exactly what they were shining with. Jaime's strange behavior rubbed off on Dimeria and her heart suddenly began beating frantically. Part of her wanted to run screaming away from the castle, but another part wanted to march right into the Small Council chamber and fight every person in the room until her safety and the safety of those she cared for was guaranteed. When she and Jaime reached the door to the room, she did neither of those things. Dimeria walked in with her head held high and showed no fear; except for the way she bit her lip, but no one ever seemed to notice that little habit besides Jaime.

"Lady Dimeria, have a seat." Tywin Lannister said. Despite his customary intimidating and cool demeanor, Dimeria could see that even he was uncomfortable about something by the way he was sitting.

"What's going on?" Dimeria asked. No one seemed to be making eye contact with her at all. She began fidgeting her hands in her lap. "Is this about what that whore accused me of?" She asked spitefully when no one answered her first question.

Dimeria seemed to break the ice in the room, for everyone seemed to flinch at her blunt words.

"No, it isn't." Tywin answered her.

"Then what's going on?" Dimeria's irritation was beginning to make her sound impudent.

Tywin finally spoke after a beat. "As you know, we don't have any actual proof of you being a Targaryen." Dimeria forced a lump down her throat. "We plan to have you watched by the Kingsguard members at all times, for safety purposes, of course."

It was all information that Dimeria had heard the night before from Jaime, but she remained calm and interested for the sake of Tywin.

"We planned to have your trial a fortnight after Tyrion's trial by combat, but we seem to have run into some unforeseen circumstances."

Dimeria's ears perked at the new information. "What do you mean?"

Tywin stretched his neck in what looked like stress. "King Tommen has requested your hand in marriage."

* * *

_**Until next time...**_


	57. Chapter 58

The last time Tommen had been this terrified for Dimeria was she had gone missing for several days.

"She's a Targaryen…"

The words haunted Tommen's infantile mind as he frantically began thinking of ways to protect the beautiful Kingsguard warrior. His mother had tried to calm him down several times the night after the trial, but he could not relax his frazzled nerves.

"They can't put her in the dungeons, can they?" Tommen asked Cersei.

"Unfortunately not…" His mother drawled out with a hint of venom that Tommen chose to ignore.

"I have to do something."

Cersei got up from her seat and stood in front of Tommen. "You don't have to do anything, sweet boy. Let your grandfather and the rest of the Small Council handle the situation. All that matters is your safety."

Tommen allowed himself to visibly relax for the sake of his high-strung mother, but his anxiety did not diminish in his heart. By the time night fell, Tommen was left alone in his chambers still scrounging for a solution to Dimeria's fate. He was frustrated with himself. He was the king; why couldn't he do anything to protect her?! Tommen just wanted Dimeria to be safe. It seemed like people were out to attack Dimeria. She was a warrior, but Tommen knew that Dimeria wouldn't be able to protect herself from people like Varys; she needed someone to keep an eye on her at all times. And that was when it hit him. The idea came with such a force that Tommen shot up in his bed, eyes wide and mouth agape. He knew exactly how to keep Dimeria under his protection: he would marry her!

When morning broke through the satin curtains of Tommen's window, the boy King was more than ready to propose his idea of marriage, but he didn't quite know how to go about it. He knew his mother would probably become feral at the mention of his idea, so Tommen definitely planned on not telling Cersei. How would everyone else react to his proposal? Fear and doubt began creeping into Tommen's mind. Maybe he shouldn't do it; maybe Dimeria could find some other way to stay safe. He began pacing back and forth in his room. Dimeria's trial would be inconclusive. Even if Tommen didn't intervene, she would still be fine.

But what if she wasn't? Tommen wasn't ready to take that chance. Deep breaths coursed in and out of his lungs. He would tell the Small Council what he wanted to do and they would listen to him. Tommen was the King after all...the Small Council wouldn't dare defy him. That was settled then. With his jaw set firmly, Tommen went out into the hall to tell the guard that was always stationed outside his chambers to inform the members of the Small Council that he requested a meeting.

…

Jaime had been a member of the Kingsguard since he was a teenager and not once had the King called his own meeting with the Small Council, so the fact that Tommen-barely into his second decade-had requested an assembly was incredibly shocking. Jaime rushed to the Small Council chamber as quickly as possible, intrigued by what the boy king might have to say. He reached the door at the same time as Varys.

"Lord Varys." Jaime said softly. "Any idea what this is about?"

"No, but I have my suspicions." The Spider said with a queer look in his eye. Jaime didn't question him any further, but was immediately put on guard; the Master of Whispers had a way of doing that to people.

It didn't take long for all of the members to make their way to the table. Maester Pycelle was the last one to shuffle in, his wheezing voice weakly mumbling his apologies for being late. For once Tywin Lannister was not seated at the head of the table. His place was taken by young Tommen, which Jaime took note of with a slight hint of pleasure.

Tommen cleared his throat and called everyone's attention. "Thank you all for coming." He began nervously. "I called this meeting because I wanted to discuss Dimeria-uh, Lady Dimeria's situation."

Jaime could see the nervous ticks coming from Tommen. He felt a newfound respect for the young boy for having the courage to actually get up and demand something from the Small Council, but he mostly felt embarrassed for him. The adept Kingsguard warrior could practically feel the boredom and slight irritation radiating from the other Small Council members. Not only that, but his customary mask of indifference was beginning to slip into one of lethargy.

"What would you like to know, Your Grace?" Varys spoke up.

Tommen clenched his hands. "I do not believe that she is a Targaryen."

A scoff sounded from Pycelle, which quickly turned into a hacking cough. "This isn't a matter you should concern yourself with, Your Grace."

"If I am to be a good King, should I not concern myself with all matters of dispute in the kingdom?" Tommen countered.

Jaime saw several of the council members raise their brows in surprise. "A fair point made, Your Grace." Lord Varys said.

Tommen visibly relaxed. "Uncle Jaime," he said, "you've spent the most time with Lady Dimeria, what do you think?"

"Think about what, Your Grace?" Jaime asked, biding his time in order to sort out his thoughts.

"Do you believe she is a Targaryen?"

Jaime took a deep breath before answering, ensuring that he betrayed none of his emotions. "I certainly have no way of knowing if she is, no one does...not even Dimeria. She's a bastard."

Tommen furrowed his brows at the indirect answer, which Jaime did not miss. "Whether she is or not," he continued with a shrug of his broad shoulders, "I don't believe she poses a threat."

"You think well of Lady Dimeria, don't you?" Tommen asked, wide eyes revealing the childlike innocence in his heart.

The question caught Jaime off guard. "Yes, you could say that."

"You trust her?"

"Yes."

Silence ensued then, Tommen seriously contemplating Jaime's words, though the Kingsguard warrior could not put a finger on what exactly the young boy was thinking about. The mystery of the meeting was quickly rising to heights that nearly made the small council members uncomfortable.

"It is not a matter of trust, Your Grace." Tywin was the first to break the silence, "The Targaryens have been exiled from Westeros. It only takes one crack in the wall for the entire structure to begin to crumble. We must discover her true origins and if that happens to be with the Targaryens, then so be it."

"I disagree."

The force of Tommen's words was like a punch in the face to each person in the room. Tommen suddenly seemed to be drawing confidence from some unknown source. His jaw was set firm, his head held high; it almost seemed as if he had grown taller.

"Lady Dimeria has protected this realm to the best of her abilities. She's risked her life several times for the good of the people." The passion was rising in Tommen's voice. His fists were clenched and his brows were drawn in determination. "I will not see her punished for a crime she may or may not have committed when she benefits this kingdom so much."

"What are you trying to say, Your Grace?" Varys asked with an eerie tone in his voice.

"I want to protect Lady Dimeria." Tommen said through a puff of breath.

A strange feeling arose in Jaime's chest.

"How so?" Varys questioned, though it almost looked as if he already knew the answer.

Tommen inhaled deeply. "I want to marry Lady Dimeria."

Jaime's heart fell to the pit of his stomach.

…

There was to be a later discussion over Tommen's possible betrothal to Lady Dimeria. Jaime felt as if he had stepped into a dream. The walls seemed to be spinning, the movements of the people around him were blurred, and he felt as if he was floating outside of his own body. Before he knew it all of the other Small Council members, including Tommen, had left the room while he was still standing dumbfounded. Mustering up what little sense hadn't been knocked out of him, Jaime turned to leave the room, but was quickly called back.

"Jaime." Tywin said.

Still too stunned to have any real reaction, Jaime turned with a blank expression on his face.

"If Tommen goes through with this, there's nothing you can do about it." Tywin stated.

"And what is it you think I would do?" Jaime asked.

"You have feelings for the girl, there's no denying that. If Dimeria accepts the proposal, which no doubt she would for her safety, then you cannot interfere with it."

"What makes you so sure Dimeria would so willingly accept?"

Tywin scoffed at Jaime. "Do you think you could persuade her otherwise?"

The shocked stupor was beginning to fade from Jaime's mind. "I wouldn't need to persuade her. Dimeria would never marry anyone if she didn't want to."

"Not even you?" Tywin questioned.

Jaime sighed. "Not even me." Tywin nodded at Jaime's admission with an almost pleased expression. "You didn't seem to have a problem with Dimeria when I wanted to marry her before." Jaime said out of the blue.

Stone cold eyes met Jaime's. "The will of the King surpasses your own."

Green eyes narrowed in disbelief. "You don't actually expect me to believe that you're okay with Tommen marrying Dimeria, do you?"

Tywin sat back in his chair and began drumming his fingers against the armrest in agitation. "No. I do not want Tommen to marry that bastard girl, but there is also no real reason to forbid him from doing so unless we somehow prove that she is a Targaryen."

"We both know there's no way to definitively prove that."

"None the less, we will have a trial. Perhaps this ridiculous fantasy of Tommen's will have run its course by the time this is all over."

"Fine." Jaime said through gritted teeth.

"I will call another Small Council meeting at sundown today and she will be informed of what has been discussed." Tywin said getting up from the table. Jaime turned to finally leave the room.

"Jaime." Tywin stopped him.

"What." The malice Jaime felt could not be contained any longer.

His tone earned a dangerous glare from Tywin. "You will not treat Dimeria specially any longer."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"She is unfortunately a possible match for the King, and I expect you to be professional about the situation and not publically display any of your personal feelings for her."

Without another word Jaime stalked out of the room, slammed the door behind him, and then punched a wall to unleash his fury; earning him bruised knuckles to match Dimeria's injured hand.

…

"Excuse me?" Dimeria couldn't grasp Tywin's words.

"King Tommen has requested your hand in marriage." He repeated.

Dimeria no longer held control over her jaw muscles as her mouth fell open in surprise. "He's a child!

"Younger matches have been made, Your Grace." Lord Varys piped up. "Look at Lord Tyrion and Lady Sansa, for example."

Dimeria looked to all the faces in the room for assistance, but received none, not even from Jaime. She ran her hands through her hair several times as if the motion would somehow organize her thoughts. "When was this decided?" She finally asked.

"His Grace approached about the matter this morning." Tywin answered.

"And what did you all tell him?" Dimeria's voice shook with violent tremors and she struggled to keep her emotions in check.

"We told him we would discuss it." Was Tywin's curt response.

Dimeria threw her hands up. "What is there to discuss?! It's my decision whether I accept or not, isn't it?"

A disapproving stare from Tywin pierced Dimeria's heart, though she couldn't find it within herself to stop acting like a child.

"Perhaps you should hear the whole story before you make a decision, my lady." Varys said softly, penetrating the thick fog of panic and hatred in her mind.

"What story?" She snapped.

"King Tommen is quite taken with you." Varys said. An earlier conversation with Tyrion sprung to Dimeria's mind; never in her wildest dreams would she have that the imp was correct. "He is concerned about your safety regarding your upcoming trial."

Dimeria clenched her hands under the table and forced herself to listen to what Varys was telling her.

"He wants to do whatever is in his power to protect you."

"And marrying me is the only way to keep me safe?" Dimeria asked skeptically.

A sigh sounded from Jaime, though Dimeria didn't turn to look at him.

"If your trial comes to the conclusion that you are a Targaryen," Varys continued explaining, "then you will be exiled, or perhaps even executed."

Dimeria's throat constricted at the mention of her death. "And our marriage would be the only way to keep me here." She croaked.

"That seems to be the King's line of thinking." Varys confirmed.

Darkness shrouded the world around Dimeria. She didn't want this. She didn't want to be chained down to the floor, held captive against against her own will, and kept from the ones she loved. She didn't want to be locked in the Red Keep to look out the windows for the remainder of her days, even if that meant her safety. Which was better; living life and fearing death every day, or living life and wishing for death?

"But...what if I don't need protection?" She suddenly asked.

"You mean, if the trial doesn't prove you're a Targaryen?" Varys responded.

"Yes. If there's no chance of me being exiled or executed, why would I need to marry him?"

"Do you really want to take that chance?" Jaime spoke up for the first time since they had entered the Small Council Chamber.

Dimeria turned to look at him, not even bothering to hide the incredulity and astonishment on her face. "It's my decision." She said pointedly. Turning back to face the rest of the Small Council, she ignored Jaime's strange implication that she should accept the betrothal. "I will not marry King Tommen."

A collective sigh was released from every pair of lungs in the room. Dimeria's shoulders slouched with the weight of the world. She had a keen feeling that this first refusal would not be enough to deter Tommen's proposal.

"Is that everything then?" She asked with heavy eyelids.

"Yes." Tywin said. "I will inform His Grace of your decision immediately."

Dimeria narrowed her eyes at him. "Thank you." She said through clenched teeth. "And I'm glad that I could relieve you of the fear of a bastard girl becoming Queen. I wouldn't want to disgrace your family name."

Leaving her last bitter comment hanging in the air, Dimeria stormed out of the room. She knew that Tywin wouldn't even bother to dispute her statement. He was more than likely proud of his hatred and discrimination towards her. The urge to punch a wall again twitched through her arm, but was quickly tempered by the dull throbbing still beating through her knuckles. She finally slowed down and leaned her forehead against the cool stone of the wall.

"Dimeria."

She wasn't surprised to hear Jaime's voice behind her. "What." Dimeria snapped at him.

Jaime sighed. "Sometimes I wonder how you've managed to survive this long."

"Thanks for the concern." Dimeria snorted. She lifted her face from the wall to look at him. "What the hell was that in there?" She asked him. Jaime refused to look at her. "Answer me, Jaime."

His green eyes wavered in her direction. "I just want you to be safe."

Dimeria could feel the rage bubbling inside of her once more. "Tommen cannot keep me safe."

"You would be under his protection. Not even Cersei could get rid of you." Jaime insisted.

Dimeria couldn't believe the words that were coming out of Jaime's mouth. Why was he saying this? She took a deep breath and clenched her fists despite the pain she felt. "This is the last time I am going to say this, Lannister. I am not marrying Tommen."

The muscles in Jaime's face seemed to relax. "Good." He said softly.

Their eyes met in the darkness of the hallway. Dimeria expected Jaime to immediately take her in his arms, but he didn't move a muscle. Shuffling footsteps approached them suddenly.

"Lady Dimeria, Ser Jaime…" Varys greeted them.

"What?" The two warriors said in unison.

The Spider smirked at them, but said did not address their irritation. "I'm sure you are aware that Lord Tywin is significantly opposed to the idea of His Grace marrying you, Lady Dimeria."

"Oh, is that what I was sensing from him? I could have sworn he was mentally planning my engagement party." Dimeria deadpanned.

Jaime rubbed his bruised hand down his face. "What is your point?"

"Lord Tywin will do whatever is in his power to ensure that your trial reveals incriminating evidence against you." Varys said, picking his words carefully.

"What evidence would he find?" Dimeria asked stupidly, but the answer quickly came to mind. "Shit…" She said under her breath. "We have to hide my dragons."


	58. Chapter 59

_**A/N:**__** What? Another update already? I assure you, you are not in a dream. Thank you to everyone who has been reviewing and for being patient with my crappy updating schedule. There's a lot of dialogue in this chapter and hopefully you guys will like it!**_

* * *

An endless darkness followed her with every step she took. Each second seemed to lead her further and further into the suffocating nightmare of fear. Dimeria awoke with a gasp. Cold sweat ran down the side of her face as she struggled to catch her breath. Varys and Jaime were hiding Agrelio and Ceruleas that night. Where they were taking them Dimeria had no idea, but it felt wrong not to be doing it herself. She was the mother of those two dragons, but both Varys and Jaime had insisted that it was safer that she had nothing to do with their disappearance; the less she knew, the better off she was.

Dimeria covered her face with her hands. What if Varys and Jaime got caught? What if they couldn't find a place to hide her dragons? What if the dragons flew away?! The thought brought an extreme case of nausea to Dimeria's stomach. She desperately wanted to run out of her room and into the night, to bask in the twinkling starlight and silvery waterfalls of the moon, but her path was blocked by two Kingsguard warriors just outside her door. News of how the dragon heist went would not come to her until the sun rose and even then, Dimeria knew that Varys and Jaime would tell her as little as possible.

A sigh erupted from her mouth as she collapsed back down onto her bed. Anxiety would not allow her to sleep any longer as her thoughts disturbed her peace like hundreds of little flies perturbing a horse. Her thoughts inevitably moved from her own bleak situation to Tyrion's. In just about a week his trial by combat would occur against Gregor Clegane. A mental image of the obscenely large man stomping on the misshapen dwarf sprung to mind, bringing a grimace to Dimeria's fair features. Tyrion's impending doom weighed heavily on Dimeria's mind, especially because there was so little she could do about it. She didn't exactly understand how the trial by combat worked, except the fact that someone was supposed to die. In Tyrion's situation, the whole affair just seemed horribly unjust. How could a dwarf be expected to defeat a man called 'the mountain?'

Writhing around under the blankets was the only way Dimeria could think to express her frustration about the ordeal. She had never felt so choked and caged before, like a dog being chained to a post. No matter how many times she barked and bit at her captors, they only tightened her leash and watched her even closer. The accusation of her being a Targaryen was the last straw.

Within a couple of hours Dimeria's lids finally collapsed, not stirring again until blinding rays from the sun pierced through her window and onto her face. That was one of the things Dimeria hated about King's Landing: the sun was hideously bright and hot, which of course made the stench that much worse.

Dimeria dressed quickly that morning, planning on visiting Tyrion one way or another. She ripped the door open with a burst of energy, smirking when she saw the startled movements of the two guards in front of her.

"I'm paying a visit to Lord Tyrion today." She stated matter-of-factly, not waiting for approval from the two dimwit warriors. With a whip of her long braid, Dimeria took off for the prison cells.

She ignored every pair of eyes that turned her way and held her head high. Dimeria refused to let anyone get the best of her. Before finally reaching the steps down to Tyrion's captivity, Jaime cut off her path, apparently heading for the same destination.

"Jaime!" Dimeria breathed in surprise.

"Dimeria."

Blue eyes narrowed at the curt greeting from Jaime. It only took a moment for Dimeria to take in all of unusual signs radiating from his body; his face was taut with irritation, his hands were clenched at his sides, and his nostrils were flared as if he was struggling for air.

"I was on my way to see Tyrion." Dimeria explained warily.

"As was I." Jaime responded through clenched teeth. "I'll take it from here." He said, addressing the two guards behind Dimeria.

After two clanking bows to their Kingsguard Commander, the two men went on their way, much to Dimeria's relief. "Is everything alright?" She asked Jaime.

Jaime shook his head and averted his eyes from Dimeria. "It's nothing. Let's go."

Nearly jogging to keep up with his pace, Dimeria bit her lip in anxiety. She had a bad habit of picking up on Jaime's negative vibes, but she supposed Jaime did the same thing with her occasionally. After a brief pause to be let in by the guard just outside Tyrion's cell, Jaime and Dimeria walked in and the source of Jaime's growing ire was revealed.

"Come to let me out, I hope…" Tyrion said sarcastically.

A huff of frustration sounded from Jaime as he sent daggers across the way to Tyrion. "Do you really think now is the time for jokes, little brother?"

Tyrion turned to fully face his older brother. "Something wrong…?"

Dimeria wished she could shrink into the size of the mouse and find some hidden hole and crawl away. She could tell she was standing on the brink of an epic storm that was just about to capsize Tyrion and Jaime's ship of brotherhood. Something was seriously upsetting Jaime. Dimeria scolded herself for not seeing it the day before, but then cut herself some slack considering the proposal she had had to deal with.

"I made a deal for you to keep your ungrateful head on your ungrateful neck a little while longer." Jaime said maliciously. Dimeria furrowed her brows; she had forgotten about the deal Jaime made.

"I'm sorry, what am I grateful for?" Tyrion questioned.

Jaime suddenly slammed the heel of his hand against one of the posts in the cell. Dimeria shrank even further away, letting the storm rage on without interruption.

"You threw your life away. You threw it away!"

"Be careful," Tyrion told his brother. "You wouldn't want to injure both of your hands." He said in reference to the bruised knuckles on Jaime's other hand; another thing that Dimeria had completely overlooked. "Been in the habit of punching walls lately?"

"This isn't a joke. You understand that, don't you?" Jaime asked, ignoring Tyrion's question.

"Of course it's a joke...just not a very funny one." Tyrion conceded. It seemed that the storm had passed, but Dimeria felt like the ripped sail that took most of the damage. The brothers hadn't even bothered to acknowledge her since they entered the room, though she wasn't exactly upset about it.

"I couldn't do it." Tyrion continued at a much calmer tone of voice. "I couldn't listen to her standing there telling her lies. I couldn't do it."

Dimeria felt her heart squeeze at the sadness in Tyrion's voice, though Jaime didn't seem to be feeling the same sympathy towards his little brother.

"You fell in love with a whore." Jaime said, taking a seat on Tyrion's pathetic excuse for a bed.

"Yes, I fell in love with a whore." Tyrion said, rolling his eyes. "And you fell in love with a bastard."

"Watch it." Dimeria warned, making her presence known for the first time. Despite her irritation at Tyrion's slightly harsh words, Dimeria couldn't help the flip her stomach did at the mention of Jaime's love for her.

"My apologies." Tyrion said with a nod. "You fell in love with a pretty bastard."

Dimeria rolled her eyes and slid down to the floor to take a seat.

"That deal you made, it was everything Father wanted." Tyrion said, turning his full attention back to Jaime. Dimeria's ears stood to attention at the mention of the bargain she had hardly heard of. "He gets you back as his heir, the future Lord of the Rock. And he ships me off to Castle Black, out of sight at last."

Dimeria could see Jaime tense at Tyrion's words.

"All so perfect. It felt good to take that from him." Tyrion concluded.

"What deal are you talking about?" Dimeria questioned from her spot on the floor, but both of the Lannisters ignored her.

"He knows I'm innocent and he's willing to sacrifice me anyway." Tyrion went on.

"He's willing to sacrifice any of us!" Jaime scoffed.

Dimeria huffed angrily. "What deal?!"

Tyrion ignored her once more. "Not you." He said, gesturing at Jaime. "You're the golden son."

Dimeria got to her feet. "I swear, if one of you doesn't tell me what deal you're talking about…" She left the threat open ended, leaving the both of to imagine what she would do.

Both heads snapped to attention at Dimeria's sudden fury. Tyrion was the one to explain the situation. "Ser Jaime here bargained with our father to save my life. Jaime leaves the Kingsguard, finds himself a wife, and becomes the Lord of Casterly Rock...all for me to plead guilty to a crime I didn't commit and get sent to Castle Black."

If Dimeria had any sort of reaction to what had just been said, neither Jaime nor Tyrion saw it. Cool calculation was all that was shown on the outside, but on the inside, her heart was jumping all around.

_Find himself a wife…?_

Did that mean that Jaime had bargained for Tyrion's life, but was planning to leave her? Dimeria felt ashamed at the slight hint of joy she felt now that the deal was off. She didn't want Tyrion to have to go through with this trial by combat, but she also didn't want Jaime to leave her behind while he became Lord of Casterly Rock.

"Well, none of that is happening now." Jaime said, not even bothering to hide the disdain in his voice.

"Exactly. And I enjoyed taking that away from father." Tyrion said.

"Did you ever stop to think about who else you were taking that away from?!" Jaime scolded his little brother.

Tyrion paused a moment to digest Jaime's words, as did Dimeria. "You would've married Dimeria." The dwarf stated more than asked.

Jaime refused to look over in Dimeria's direction. "Of course...who else?"

Dimeria's jaw nearly fell from her face. Two marriage proposals in two days; most women would've gone crazy with happiness, Dimeria on the other hand...she wasn't sure what to think. Tyrion dropped his head in guilt.

"Now you have to find a way to come out alive of this trial by combat, and Dimeria and I hardly stand a chance of being together." Jaime confessed the true troubles of his heart.

Dimeria wrung her hands and bit her lip in distress. Not only was it irritating that Tyrion and Jaime kept speaking as if she wasn't present, but it was difficult for her to handle all of this emotional tension in the room, so she tried to diffuse it. "Didn't stand much of a chance anyway, especially since Tommen proposed."

Dimeria could immediately sense that Jaime disapproved of her comment, but thankfully Tyrion stopped what could have possibly become a fight. "Tommen proposed?" The dwarf asked incredulously.

"Yes." Jaime confirmed with one last stern glance at Dimeria. "Somewhere in his mind he believes it is the only way to keep Dimeria safe."

"What did you say?" Tyrion asked Dimeria.

"No, of course. I could never marry him." Dimeria said, her nose scrunching in disgust.

"Which means we have to ensure that her trial is inconclusive." Jaime said.

Tyrion furrowed his brows. "Of course it will be inconclusive. There's no proof." He said with a pointed look at both Jaime and Dimeria. Dimeria only shrugged and turned Tyrion's attention to Jaime.

"There is no proof." Jaime stated definitively, his voice filled with a sort of reassurance that calmed the butterflies that had been stirring in Dimeria's stomach all morning.

Tyrion turned his back and began musing. "Good, you should be able to survive your own trial. I, on the hand…" He spun back around the face Jaime and Dimeria. "I survived one trial by combat, even though you weren't there to save me."

Jaime smirked at his brother's comment. "I can't save you this time either."

Dimeria interrupted before they could get deeper into the conversation. "What do you mean you can't save him?" Both of the brothers gave her a queer look. "I don't really understand how trials by combat work…" She admitted, her cheeks reddening in embarrassment.

Tyrion and Jaime shared an indecipherable look before Jaime explained. "Someone can volunteer to fight for those involved in the trial. The same rules apply: they fight to the death. Last man standing wins. Whomever the dead man was representing will be executed later on."

The pieces started to click in Dimeria's head as she nodded in understanding.

"Back to my question: why can't you save me this time?" Tyrion asked.

Jaime sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "Our father and sister have decided that the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard cannot fight because it is too much of a risk." Tyrion's face was one of disbelief as Jaime spoke. "Seeing as my primary role is to protect the King, they can't risk my death because it would also mean risking the death of the King."

Tyrion clenched his jaw in frustration. "Bronn fought for me once," he said through his teeth. "He'll do it again. If he wins, I expect I'll be in his debt for the rest of my life. Will you find him for me?"

Jaime nodded his head.

"Who does Cersei plan on naming as a champion?" Tyrion suddenly asked. Dimeria and Jaime shared a look, which Tyrion did not miss. "Well, who is it?"

"Gregor Clegane." Jaime answered.

Tyrion closed his eyes in dismay. "Bronn will not like fighting him."

"No one would." Dimeria muttered.

"I wouldn't give up on thinking of other champions if I were you." Jaime said to Tyrion. "Like you said, Bronn may not agree to fighting the Mountain."

Tyrion nodded his agreement.

"I could do it." Dimeria said out of the blue.

Once again, Jaime and Tyrion snapped their heads toward Dimeria, nearly breaking their necks in the process. "Excuse me?" They said in unison, showing just how close they truly were.

"I could fight him." Dimeria said again.

Jaime shook his head. "No, you couldn't."

Dimeria narrowed her eyes. "Says who?"

"Says me."

"Last I checked, this wasn't _your _trial."

"You're not fighting Gregor Clegane." Jaime stated again.

"That's not your choice to make!" Dimeria said, her voice rising dangerously.

Tyrion had yet to weigh in on the debate. Was he willing to risk Dimeria's life for his own? He was willing to risk Bronn's, and even Jaime's life, but why did he hesitate when it came to the Targaryen bastard? She was more than capable of fighting for him. Jaime had stated many times how skilled she was with a blade. And she was willing to fight for him, so why not? He was on the edge of accepting until he saw the fear and remorse on his brother's face. Tyrion knew that Jaime could not stand to lose Dimeria, even if it meant saving his own brother.

As Jaime and Dimeria continued to argue, Tyrion tried to weigh his situation in his mind. In the end, the decision was up to himself and Dimeria. Dimeria was headstrong and would resent Tyrion if he didn't allow her to at least try to save his life, but then there would be the possibility of Jaime killing Tyrion himself if the dwarf allowed Dimeria to fight the Mountain. Tyrion was torn. He wanted to be selfish and just let the magnificent warrior fight for him, but he loved Dimeria too much as a friend to allow her to risk her life for him. Not only that, but Jaime had already made sacrifices to ensure the dwarf's life; Tyrion wouldn't let his older brother make an even bigger sacrifice for his pathetic life if he didn't have to.

"Stop." Tyrion said, silencing both Jaime and Dimeria. "I appreciate your offer more than you'll ever know, Dimeria. But I can't let you fight for me."

Dimeria flared her nostrils in frustration. "What if Bronn says 'no', Tyrion? You won't have anyone else!"

Tyrion glanced at his brother. His heart nearly broke at the love he saw in Jaime's eyes for Dimeria. "I'll figure something out." Tyrion mumbled.

"Fine." Dimeria said. Without another word, she walked to the door of the prison cell and let herself out.

Silence filled the small cell as Tyrion and Jaime stared at the space that Dimeria had just occupied.

"Thank you." Jaime said breathlessly to his brother.

Tyrion nodded. "Do not lose her, brother."

"I'm trying."

…

Dimeria's mind was filled with questions. She would have gladly risked her life to save Tyrion; why did he refuse her offer? And then there was Jaime. Why didn't he tell her about the deal had made with Tywin, especially if she played such a key role in Jaime's future. As irritated as she was, a small grain of happiness implanted itself in her heart when she thought of a possible future with Jaime. She had never thought of herself as the type that would ever settle down, but if it was Jaime, how bad could it be? The beautiful vision of a flourishing future with Jaime was quickly uprooted when the crushing weight of reality stormed back into her mind.

In an ideal world Tyrion would find a skilled champion and survive his trial by combat; Dimeria's trial would remain inconclusive and she would be cut off the hook; and then Jaime, Dimeria, and Tyrion would escape to Casterly Rock and live happily ever after. The end. But life ever since Dimeria had left Castle Black had been anything but ideal. There was a better chance of Tyrion suddenly growing 10 feet than the three of them ever getting a happy ending.

"Lady Dimeria." Varys' spine-tingling voice interrupted Dimeria's musings.

Dimeria stifled a sigh. "Lord Varys."

"Care to take a walk with me?"

Dimeria hesitated for a moment. She was supposed to be watched by Kingsguard warriors at all times, but she had ditched them a while ago. Besides, Varys was a member of the Small Council, if she did anything wrong he would probably go report it.

"Fine." She said.

The rose garden seemed to the understood meeting place for Varys and Dimeria. They were quickly enfolded into the leafy maze of blooms, shielded from prying eyes...or that's what Dimeria hoped.

"I assume you're nervous about your upcoming trial." Varys started the conversation.

"Among other things." Dimeria muttered, her eyes refusing to steer in Varys' direction.

"Oh, not to worry, my lady. I take pride in my prudence." Varys grinned eerily. Dimeria could only assume that he was speaking of hiding her dragons, so she forced herself to take comfort in the fact that both Varys and Jaime were confident that they had stowed her dragons away successfully.

Dimeria shook her head all of a sudden. "I don't understand you."

"You aren't the first, my dear." Varys chuckled.

"You're always one of the first to help me…" Dimeria began musing aloud. "Yet you sold out Tyrion with the slightest hesitation during his trial. Who's to say you won't do the same to me?"

"You took that risk when you decided to trust me, Lady Dimeria."

"I took that risk because I didn't have any other choice!" Dimeria said, her frustration levels rising to new heights. "And if I remember correctly, you're the one that reached out to me. I never came crawling to you for help."

They both stopped in the middle of the garden. Dimeria's cheeks were flushed pink like the roses around her, but Varys was once again embodying the essence of calm.

"You are correct, Lady Dimeria." Varys said. "With that being said, why doubt me now?"

"Did you say the same thing to Tyrion before his trial? Or did you at least have the decency to spare him the false hope crap?" Dimeria spat venomously. Gods, she truly wished that she could get some sort of reaction out of Varys, but he took everything in stride.

"Loyal to a fault, Lady Dimeria. Just like me."

Dimeria could have snorted at his ridiculous statement. "Do you really expect me to believe that _you_ are loyal?"

"Have I ever proved otherwise?"

"Maybe not to me, but perhaps you should ask Tyrion that same question."

Varys knocked Dimeria's comments aside and simply smiled again. "I think by the end of this you'll realize I'm on your side. I always have been."

Dimeria had just about had it with all of Varys' vague comments, so without any other word, she turned her back on the Spider and chose a different route through the rose gardens. To hell with having someone monitor her at all times. Everyone had their own little spies set around the castle; Dimeria didn't need two Kingsguard warriors to be her shadow.

She eventually made it out of the rose garden and onto a stone balcony overlooking Blackwater Bay and the keep below the castle. Leaning on the stone balustrade, time passed without Dimeria's knowledge. No one disturbed her except for the monsters inside of her own head. Every bird that flew into her eyesight seemed to be one of her dragons, scaring Dimeria out of her wits so that it go to the point where she had to just close her eyes and shut the world out.

If Dimeria had fallen asleep, she wasn't aware of it. The next thing she knew when she looked up was that the sun was leaving to take its slumber. Perhaps it was a signal for Dimeria to take her own rest.

"Dimeria…?" A voice sounded behind her.

A groan threatened to come out of her mouth, but she resisted it; she was tired of hearing people say her name that day.

"What do you want, Lannister?" She asked without looking up.

"I've been looking for you all day." Jaime said, joining her at the balcony.

"Well, I've been here." Sensing Jaime's green eyes piercing her skin, Dimeria turned to meet his gaze. "Here to yell at me some more?"

"It sounds tempting...but no." Jaime smirked. "I feel like I should explain what happened today."

"Yeah, that would be nice." Dimeria said with a sigh. "Why didn't you tell me about the deal you made?"

Jaime dropped his eyes from Dimeria's. "I meant to tell you right after the trial, but everything just…"

"Exploded?" Dimeria finished for him.

"Pretty much."

Dimeria took a moment to think over the situation. "Did you mean it?"

Jaime gave Dimeria a strange look. "I'm gonna need more specifics, little warrior."

"Marrying me. Would you really have married me?" She asked timidly.

"Of course." Jaime said without hesitation. Dimeria turned away from him. She couldn't quite decide how his admission made her feel. "We don't have to talk about this, Dimeria."

"It's just…" Dimeria took a deep breath. "I never thought I would ever get married, or even find myself in a position where I could get married. And now to have two different people say they would marry me...It's kind of a shock."

"Even if the deal had worked out, you wouldn't have had to marry me; not if you didn't want to. I wouldn't make you do that." Jaime tried to reassure her.

"Then your father would have just found someone else to be your wife. I'm not sure which one is harder for me to wrap my head around."

Jaime laughed. "I don't give two shits about what my father wants. I'll wait for you."

His words struck a familiar chord in Dimeria's heart. Robb Stark had promised to wait for her, and his wait was cut short. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes as Jaime reached over and grabbed her hand. "I don't want to lose you, Dimeria."

"Why?" She whispered.

Jaime tensed his entire body before he answered. "Because I love you."

"What a touching scene."

Jaime and Dimeria spun around to see Prince Oberyn watching them with a complacent smirk upon his tanned features. The entire mood suddenly changed and Dimeria found herself wanting to gouge the Dornish Prince's eyes out. She could tell that Jaime was feeling the same way.

"Shouldn't you be at a whorehouse?" Jaime asked Oberyn.

"Shouldn't you be guarding your King?" He countered.

"What do you want?" Dimeria interrupted, putting a stop to the mounting tension.

Oberyn flashed his almond eyes to the beautiful warrior. "I was just taking a stroll when I stumbled upon two lovebirds. Not exactly the best time for sentimentality, I'm sorry to say."

"No one asked you to be apart of it." Jaime snapped. "So why don't just get on your way."

"As you wish, Lord Commander." Oberyn said with a gleaming smile. "I'll just fill my time with a different Lannister's presence."

Jaime and Dimeria furrowed the brows in confusion. "What do you mean?" Dimeria asked.

"I was just on my way to visit Lord Tyrion. I have some...questions to ask him."

* * *

_**Stupid Oberyn...**_

_**Well, I hope you guys liked this chapter! Thanks for staying with this FanFic for so long, I love you all for it.**_

_**Until next time...**_


	59. Chapter 60

_**A/N:**__** Short chapter, but...oh well...**_

_**I mean to update on the GoT Season 6 premiere, but that didn't happen...my bad...BUT DANG, this season has been great so far. Well, thank you to everyone who has reviewed. I hope you guys like this update!**_

* * *

Tommen couldn't believe it. Did Dimeria really say no? The young boy had never felt such rejection before. Why did she say no? Didn't she understand that it was for her own good? After being told the news the morning after his proposal, Tommen relegated himself to his private chambers for the rest of the day. He couldn't bear to see anyone; not his grandfather, definitely not his mother, and most certainly not Dimeria.

What was going to happen to her now? He tried convincing himself that Dimeria knew what she was doing; that even if they didn't get married, she would still be safe and wouldn't get sentenced to exile or worse; death. The stakes were too high for Tommen though. A tightening in his chest plagued him the entire day. His stomach seemed to tie itself into knots until he almost believed he would vomit from this horrible feeling he was experiencing. The young boy could not quite put his finger on why Dimeria's rejection made him feel so awful. He was worried about her, yes, but there seemed to be more to it.

He was embarrassed. Tommen Baratheon, the King of Westeros, had been turned down for a betrothal! Was there something wrong with him? His mother had always told him he was perfect as he was growing up, but that clearly wasn't the case anymore. Pacing about his room, Tommen began pondering the many reasons why Dimeria may have refused his proposal.

Was Tommen too young for Dimeria? No, there had been hundreds of matches where the girl could have been the child of the man she had married. Tommen shook that reason from his mind.

Was he not attractive enough for Dimeria? Tommen went and found a mirror to look at himself. He didn't exactly meet the standards that he believed someone as beautiful as Dimeria deserved, but he wasn't the ugliest person in the world. He removed that idea from his list and forced himself to smile at his reflection in the mirror just for good measure.

Was it because he wasn't a fighter like Dimeria? His father had been a fierce warrior, his uncle was easily the best swordsman in Westeros; Tommen drooped his shoulders in dejection. The men were supposed to protect the women, but Tommen knew that Dimeria would be the one saving his life were they ever in danger. But not being able to wield a sword wasn't necessarily a cause to not marry someone, and besides, Tommen could train to become a swordsman if he really wanted to.

So what was it? They always seemed to get along well enough whenever they talked with each other. Dimeria was nice to him, and Tommen always went out of his way to display kindness and gratitude towards Dimeria. The young King just didn't understand. If Dimeria didn't want to marry him, the King of Westeros, who did she want to marry? And suddenly it clicked. Did Dimeria have feelings for someone else? Tommen's heart sank to the pits of his stomach. Never before had he had feelings for another woman; he quickly realized that he experiencing his first heartbreak. The sudden awareness at least explained why his chest was hurting that day.

With his head hung low and his shoulders rounded dismally, Tommen sank into the cushions of his bed. He wanted Dimeria to be safe. Her well being was more important to him than the pain in his heart, but he hated the idea of forcing Dimeria to marry him if she had feelings for another. Tommen had no idea what he was going to do, but he did learn one thing from the experience:

Love was a funny thing, indeed.

…

Tyrion had fallen into the darkest and deepest of despairs after Jaime and Dimeria had left. Those two had been his last hope, and even Bronn declined fighting for Tyrion's life; he had a woman to marry now. The hardest part about being alone was that there was no one there to cheer you up. No one was there to tell you everything was going to be okay; even if you didn't truly believe it, it still felt good to hear. There was no hope of escape for the Lannister dwarf. He slowly began forcing himself to accept the fact that he could now count the number of days he had left in his life on one hand. It wasn't a good feeling.

Night descended upon Tyrion's cell, but he didn't notice the darkness. Nothing was quite as dark as the end of the tunnel his life was approaching. He would have to fight Gregor Clegane in a matter of days. He might last a few minutes, but Tyrion knew that all it would take was one blow from the Mountain and he would be dead. At least he wouldn't have to deal with his rotten family any longer.

It was the only solace Tyrion could think of. He didn't want to die, but the entire world seemed to be of the opposite opinion. What had he done to deserve such a fate? He had never done anything wrong! At least...not intentionally...he hadn't meant to kill his mother when he was born, and he didn't ask to be a dwarf. It just..._happened._ Tyrion sighed. He began wondering if he could count how many breaths he had left in his life when footsteps sounded outside of his door.

"Lord Tyrion."

"Prince Oberyn." Tyrion greeted, not bothering to mask the surprise in his voice. "I imagined you'd be at the brothel at this hour."

The Dornish Prince took a moment to consider his words. "I did spend time with an absolutely stunning blonde the other day." He said.

"Hm, do tell." Tyrion said. "I have every kind of filth down here except the kind I like."

Oberyn smirked. "Your sister."

Tyrion didn't even attempt to try to hide the disgust upon his features. "Oh." He mumbled.

"Cersei approached me." Oberyn said. "We talked a great deal about her daughter. She was trying very hard to pretend she had not come to sway me against you. I think she may have even believed it herself."

A derisive snort sounded from Tyrion as he rolled his eyes. "Making honest feelings do dishonest work is one of her many gifts." And it was true. It was why she had thrived so well in the snake pit that was King's Landing.

"It was difficult for her to hide her true intentions." Oberyn said, casually leaning against one of the wooden posts in Tyrion's cell. "It is rare to meet a Lannister who shares my enthusiasm for dead Lannisters. She desperately wants to see you killed."

Tyrion peered suspiciously at the Dornish Prince, not understanding why he was visiting in the first place. "She didn't need to bother you. It looks as though I've taken care of that myself." He ran his stout fingers through his dirty tendrils of hair. "The joy she will feel when my head leaves my neck...she's wanted this for a long time."

His own words plucked a sore chord within his chest. Cersei had hated him for as long as he could remember. He didn't understand it as a child, and even now, part of his mind was still somewhat baffled. How could his own sister hate him for something he didn't even mean to do? It's not as if he had planned his mother's death while he was in her womb.

A prickling sensation down his short spine called Tyrion from his musings. Oberyn's mysterious eyes were staring intently at him.

"We met, you and I. Many years ago." Oberyn stated.

"I think I would have remembered that." Tyrion said skeptically.

Oberyn crossed his arms over his chest. "Unlikely. You had just been born." His statement caught Tyrion off guard and captured his full attention. "Our father brought me and my sister Elia with him on a visit to Casterly Rock. It was my first time away from Dorne."

A glaze covered Oberyn's hazel eyes as he recalled his earlier days. "I didn't like anything about the Rock." He said. "Not the food, not the weather, not your accents; nothing."

_I'm not sure I'm a big fan of your accent, either…_ Tyrion thought to himself.

"But the biggest disappointment...you." Oberyn concluded.

The familiar stab of embarrassment that Tyrion had felt for years pierced his heart once more, though Tyrion knew that he did not hide the pain as well as he had in the past.

"You and my family have more in common than you might admit." Tyrion said, casting his eyes down to the floor.

Oberyn studied the pitiful dwarf in front of him for a moment before speaking once more. "The whole way from Dorne all anyone talked about was the monster that had been borne to Tywin Lannister."

Tyrion shouldn't have been surprised that even as a newborn he was hated, but he felt his shoulders sag down even further in dejection.

"A head twice the size of his body, a tail between his legs, claws, one red eye, the privates of both a girl and a boy." Oberyn went on. "When we met your sister, she promised she would show you to us. We would ask every day, and every day she would say, 'soon.'"

The Dornish Prince paused to inspect the reactions he was receiving from Tyrion, but could not detect much due to the flickering shadows of the one torch in the prison. Oberyn did not necessarily need to see the poor dwarf's face to know that he was thoroughly defeated.

"Then she and your brother took us to your nursery and she unveiled the freak." Oberyn shrugged at his vivid recollection. "Your head was a bit large. Your arms and legs were a bit small, but no claw. No red eye. No tail between your legs. Just a tiny pink cock." Tyrion slowly drew his eyes back up to Oberyn. "We didn't try to hide our disappointment."

"'That's not a monster,' I told Cersei. 'That's just a baby.'" Oberyn quoted his conversation with Cersei that long time ago. "And she said, 'He killed my mother.' And she pinched your little cock so hard, I thought she might pull it off."

Tyrion cringed at the mental image. Not only could he picture his sister torturing him in that way at a young age, but also as the woman she was now.

"Then your brother made her stop. 'It doesn't matter.' She told us. 'Everyone says he will die soon. I hope they're right. He should not have lived this long.'"

"Well," Tyrion spoke after a few moments of silence. "Sooner or later, Cersei always gets what she wants."

Oberyn narrowed his eyes dangerously. "And what about what I want?" Tyrion peered at him with confusion. "Justice for my sister and her children."

Tyrion shook his head. "If you want justice, you've come to the wrong place."

"I disagree. I've come to the perfect place." Oberyn straightened his shoulders, making his stature seem much larger than it truly was. "I want to bring those who have wronged me to justice, and all those who have wronged me are right here. I will begin with Ser Gregor Clegane, who killed my sister's children and then raped her with their blood still on his hands before killing her, too."

Oberyn took a step forward, forcing Tyrion to look up into his eyes.

"I will be your champion."

…

Jaime already knew that he hated Oberyn, but the Dornishman's little stunt that evening enraged Jaime more than he had ever known.

_Because I love you…_

It was the first time he had ever spoken the words aloud to Dimeria. There had always seemed to be this unspoken understanding between the two warriors. They knew perfectly well how they felt about each other, but neither of them had ever been brave enough to voice their emotions. And when Jaime had finally mustered up the courage to say those three words to Dimeria, Oberyn interrupted before she even had a chance to respond.

"Why would Oberyn want to speak with Tyrion?" Dimeria asked as her piercing blue eyes stared after Oberyn's retreating figure.

"I have no idea." Jaime answered, his eyes following the same path. He nervously glanced at Dimeria out of the corner of his eye several times, looking to see if she had any reaction towards his words, but she seemed to be wearing a stony mask of indifference.

"Should we follow him?"

Jaime considered it for a moment. "No. Oberyn's not stupid enough to harm Tyrion in a prison cell with a guard right outside the door."

"He really hates you guys." Dimeria stated the obvious.

"And I really hate him." Jaime snorted. He looked down to Dimeria and was disappointed not to see at least a grin on her face. "Are we okay, little warrior?"

Dimeria flashed her sapphire eyes up to his. "It's been a stressful few days." She said softly.

Jaime held back to urge to bring up his admission of love for Dimeria. It was something that Dimeria would have to come to terms with herself; he didn't want to sway her feelings in any way. "I'll walk you back up to your room."

His heart was racing, but Dimeria nearly stopped his heart just by grabbing his hand. Such a simple gesture initiated by her meant the world to Jaime. He squeezed her hand as they walked back into the Keep, trying to ignore the heavy weight that settled into his chest as soon as he stepped through the threshold. Jaime couldn't decide how he felt about what he said to Dimeria. Should he have kept it to himself? What if Dimeria didn't feel the same way? He knew the latter was a ridiculous question, but Jaime not only wanted Dimeria to voice her feelings for him; he _needed_ her to voice them.

As they got closer to Dimeria's chambers, Jaime released his grip on her hand knowing that other Kingsguard warriors would be stationed at her door. He fell back a step behind Dimeria as they rounded the corner just before Dimeria's room.

"You've done a wonderful job guarding Lady Dimeria." Jaime called to the two warriors who shuffled their feet with shame. "The next time you get the urge to slack off, go ahead and turn in your white cloaks as well."

"Yes, Ser Jaime." The two guards mumbled.

Jaime allowed himself smirk at his own performance; he knew Dimeria was enjoying it as well. Opening the door for Dimeria, he gave her a little shove just to add a little flare, earning a cold glare from her sapphire eyes.

"Have a nice night, Lady Dimeria." Jaime said, offering a sly wink before shutting the door. As he walked back to his own chambers for the night, Jaime allowed himself to dream of the moment that Dimeria was able to repeat those three words back to him.

"_I love you, too, Jaime…"_

…

Dimeria slid her back down against the closed door, letting out a deep breath in a warm burst of air. She ran her hand through her thick locks of hair. Oberyn Martell had never been a favored person in her life, but he became Dimeria's hero that night at least. Jaime said he loved her. Deep down Dimeria had always known it, but his voicing of his affections just made it more real, and Dimeria wasn't quite sure how to handle it.

The anger she had felt previously over the fact that Jaime was refusing to allow her to fight for Tyrion was replaced by an overwhelming sense of elation that she couldn't quite make sense of. If there was one person she wanted to spend her life with...it was Jaime. Not only because he had helped her evolve into the person she was today, but because Dimeria simply couldn't imagine how she would live her life without him.

Dimeria got up and began pacing around her room.

_Jaime loves you...you've known that he loves you...don't freak out about this…_

There was something completely mental about sharing a deep, personal connection such as the one Dimeria knew Jaime wanted. It was something that Jaime had always desired; something he had strived for even during his twisted relationship with Cersei. Dimeria wasn't even aware that she wanted the same thing until she had met Jaime, but she was quickly discovering that a life filled with nothing but love from Jaime was extremely appealing. So why was she so hesitant to say those three words back to him?

"What if it doesn't work out…" Dimeria whispered quietly to herself.

The silence Dimeria had shattered with her soft, fearful words screamed back at her in protest. The full force of what had entered Dimeria's mind shook her to the core as she sat down on her bed, her legs suddenly quaking with weakness. With everything that was going on in King's Landing, it was nearly impossible for Jaime and Dimeria to be together.

What if Jaime died?

What if Dimeria died?

What if Jaime changed his mind?

The last question made Dimeria's stomach clench. She didn't want to say she loved Jaime back for fear of that love not lasting. Robb had loved her, and now he was dead; Jaime had loved Cersei, and now they hated each other. What would happen if the love between Jaime and Dimeria suddenly ended? It seemed safer to Dimeria to keep her feelings to herself...just until she was sure that she and Jaime could actually end up happy together. But one thought troubled her more than her previous fears…

What if she or Jaime died, and she _didn't _tell him how she felt?

* * *

**Well, I hope you enjoyed Dimeria's initial reaction to Jaime's admission :) Remember to leave reviews, I love you all!**

**Until next time...**


	60. Chapter 61

_**A/N: Just a few words before you get to reading:**_

_**-Sorry for the long wait...again...**_

_**-SEASON 6 THOUGH, AM I RIGHT**_

_**-Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU to all of my followers and those who reviewed **BIG KISSES****_

_**-I think you guys will really like this chapter...**_

* * *

Margaery fought to keep her face passive. King Tommen had asked _Dimeria_ to be his Queen. The ignorant, little bastard girl held a higher place in Tommen's heart than the Tyrell beauty did, and Margaery was absolutely stunned, not to mention furious.

"Apparently Lady Dimeria refused his offer without even a second thought!" The surface level gossip moved on moments after that last comment. Small sips of tea were consumed, sweet cakes were turned into crumbles upon their plates as each passing minute blurred past Margaery. Something had to be done about Dimeria once and for all, and if Margaery had to take care of it herself, then she would do so.

After excusing herself from her little tea party, the wheels in Margaery's devious mind began turning. How could she have allowed this to happen? She had certainly underestimated Dimeria's influence within King's Landing. Quiet relief slipped into Margaery's mind as she thanked the Gods that her grandmother had already gone home to High Garden; she could easily imagine the anger Olenna Tyrell would voice at the situation.

Margaery had to take back control. She couldn't allow everything she and her grandmother had worked for to shatter to pieces at the hands of a northerner who was out of her depths. Dimeria's trial was coming up right after the imp's trial by combat; if Margaery could only find some form of hard evidence to prove her guilty. It would take serious digging to find the information she needed, but Margaery was more than willing to put the effort in; she always had been, but first, she needed to have a few words with Lady Dimeria…

…

The news traveled quickly among those who actually cared. Oberyn Martell was to be Tyrion Lannister's champion! Dimeria couldn't find it within herself to believe the gossip.

Why?

It was the question that everyone was asking themselves, even Tyrion himself. Dimeria couldn't stop the suspicion that immediately sent chills down her spine when she first got word of Oberyn's promise to Tyrion. The bits and pieces of rumors she had heard of the Dornish Prince were enough to set Dimeria on edge. To put it simply, she just didn't trust him and didn't think Tyrion should trust him either, though in Tyrion's case, he really didn't have any other choice.

Dimeria wanted to find Oberyn straight away and figure out what his true motives were, but she didn't really know where to look for him, and she definitely wasn't going to risk another trip into Littlefinger's brothel. She was horribly restless. Tyrion's trial was only a few days away, her trial was to occur a fortnight afterwards; only the Gods knew what the future held for the both of them. Dimeria felt that she was on the edge of the battlefield with no weapon or shield to defend herself with. It was an awful feeling; one that left her heart pounding and her throat tight. Everything was approaching her quickly now, as if she were standing at the bottom of a steep hill and someone had just caused a rockslide; she could feel her impending doom coming down upon her and could do nothing to stop it.

The fears were not foreign to Dimeria, though. This wasn't the first time she felt that her life had reached a dead end; if she survived before, she could find a way to survive now. Dimeria swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat as she gazed out of her window. The most important thing was to stay calm and not to do anything stupid. Dimeria suddenly thought of Jaime and how he had always told her not to lose her head in dire situations; too bad it had taken so long for the advice to stick in her head.

Turning away from her window, Dimeria sighed and plopped down onto her bed. What was she going to do about Jaime? She wanted to ensure that her fate was intertwined with his and it was clear that he was of the same mindset, but was there truly a way to do that? All she wanted was a little security, but there was no way she would ever find that, especially not in King's Landing. The only constant Dimeria had was Jaime. He would always be there for her, and he would always love her. Dimeria knew that, but just because they loved each other didn't mean-

Dimeria stopped her thoughts short. She loved Jaime. Somewhere-deep down in the depths of her heart-Dimeria had always known she loved him, but she just refused to acknowledge the fact. She regretted her hard-headed nature now.

A knock on her door startled Dimeria out of her thoughts. A third guard greeted her as she opened her door, his silver armour adorned with engravings of entangled vines and flourishing flowers. "Lady Dimeria." The man greeted.

"Yes?" Dimeria asked, quirking up an eyebrow in question. She could easily tell that the man belonged to the Tyrell army, though why he wanted to speak with her, she had no clue.

"Lady Margaery wishes to have a word with you."

Dimeria narrowed her blue eyes. "Why?"

"I'm only here to escort you." The guard said, trying to stifle a deep sigh.

The same effort was not made by Dimeria. Her shoulders heaved dejectedly as she made her way through the door, rolling her eyes at the cautious movements of her own personal jail keepers. When the three guards did not immediately follow her, Dimeria spun around with her hand on her hip.

"I would be happy to walk alone, but I'm sure Ser Jaime would have objections." She said, pointedly looking at the two Lannister soldiers.

With no further hesitation, the three guards took their positions around her; two in the front and one behind her. One of the few positive outcomes of Dimeria's chamber relegation and constant observation was the fact that she could avoid nearly everyone she didn't wish to speak to, Margaery Tyrell being one of those people. The last time Dimeria and Margaery interacted, Olenna Tyrell took it upon herself to threaten Dimeria. The Tyrell matriarch had since then departed, but that didn't make Dimeria feel any better about speaking with Margaery; the girl simply unnerved her.

"Lady Dimeria."

Dimeria didn't need to peer around the shoulders of her guards to recognize Jaime's voice. The butterflies in her stomach were put at ease for the moment as her cohort came to a halt.

"May I ask where you are going?" Jaime asked, doing a wonderful job of keeping the air formal between them, although both he and Dimeria suspected that most people knew how close they were.

"Lady Margaery wants to talk to me…"

"I see." Jaime nodded his understanding.

Both warriors wanted to say more to each other, but hesitated with the three guards around. "Did you hear about-"

"Yes." Jaime answered, knowing Dimeria was talking about Oberyn Martell.

"Why do you think-"

"I have no clue."

Dimeria sent a cold glare Jaime's way for interrupting her, but did not voice her displeasure. "I'll be on my way then." She said with a sigh.

Jaime nodded and moved out of the way to let them pass. "Stay out of trouble, Lady Dimeria." He said, a sly smirk on his face that Dimeria did not miss.

As much as Dimeria wanted to reverse her course and walk with Jaime, she forced her feet to follow the two guards in front her. It was better to get this conversation with Margaery over with rather than avoid the situation and incite her anger once more. Dimeria wasn't surprised when the guards began leading her through the rose gardens; it was the Tyrell sigil, but Dimeria was quickly discovering that the Tyrells did more than just gaze at the flowers when they were among the hedges.

Despite the fact that she was tense and anxious to get this confrontation over with, Dimeria found herself admiring the roses. The urge to let her fingers drift among the silky petals coursed through her body, but she resisted it, wary of the thorns she knew were hiding upon the stems. Moments later, Dimeria came upon the Tyrell beauty. The moment was a little too picturesque for Dimeria; a creamy white gazebo in the background, blooming roses surrounding her, the blue sky complimenting her glittering orbs. Margaery looked to be posing for an epic portrait that was to be hung in the throne room if she became queen.

"Lady Dimeria." She greeted with a toothy grin.

"Lady Margaery." Dimeria returned with less enthusiasm.

A loose hug that both the girls knew was just for looks took place, Dimeria fighting the desire to brush herself off after making skin-on-skin contact with Margaery.

"Thank you for fetching Lady Dimeria for me." Margaery said to the guard wearing her house sigil. "A few moments of privacy would be lovely."

The Tyrell soldier made a quick bow and was on his way. The two Lannister soldiers, however, shuffled their feet hesitantly.

"They're not to leave my side, unfortunately." Dimeria said at Margaery's side.

"I see." Margaery stepped forward gracefully, her customary smile plastered upon her fair features. "I sincerely thank you for your dedication towards the Kingsguard." She began sweetly. "I can rest well at night knowing that King's Landing is being guarded by men such as yourselves, but I assure you that your presence is not needed at this moment."

Dimeria rolled her eyes at Margaery's charming words.

"I trust that I am perfectly safe in Lady Dimeria's company, despite the recent accusations made towards her." Apprehension still watered the two guards' eyes. "And," Margaery suddenly continued. "I promise that Lord Commander Jaime will hear no word of you leaving us alone."

Whatever fear the guards held quickly evaporated at Margaery's last statement and with two quick bows, Dimeria was left alone with Margaery.

"You have a special way with words." Dimeria commented.

"It's a gift." Margaery replied with a smirk. "Come." Not waiting for Dimeria's consent, Margaery looped their arms together and began walking in the opposite direction as the guards. "I hear you've been keeping yourself busy ever since Lord Tyrion's trial." She said.

"Busy being locked up, yes." Dimeria grumbled.

A glorious laugh sounded from Margaery. "You've not been completely idle; you've been proposed to."

Dimeria should not have been surprised that Margaery knew about Tommen's request for her hand in marriage, but she still felt her heart catch in her throat for a moment. "I had nothing to do with that."

"Of course you did." Margaery said, a tight smile frozen on her face. "You captured the young Prince's heart."

"He's a child." Dimeria did her best to hold back her contempt, but doubted that it worked. "I don't want to marry him."

"Is that so?"

Dimeria lifted a brow at Margaery's obvious suspicion. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Margaery's slender arm tensed as it rested in the crook of Dimeria's elbow. "You have grown quite close with Prince Tommen…"

"And?"

"No doubt he would do anything in his power for you."

Dimeria yanked her arm away from Margaery. "Where are you going with this, Lady Margaery?"

The poorly covered up facade suddenly dissipated into thin air as both women faced each other with unflinching gazes. "You've just been accused of being a Targaryen, Lady Dimeria."

"Oh, is that what happened?" Dimeria snapped, her anger quickly bubbling to the surface. "I wasn't completely sure; it's not like I was there or anything of the sort."

The muscles in Margaery's face tightened up as if she had put on a plastic mask. "Should your trial prove the accusations to be true, you will be exiled, or worse, your head will be the newest decoration outside the castle walls."

"I'm well aware of the punishments that await me."

"Yes, which is where your newfound friendship with Prince Tommen comes in handy."

Dimeria stood dumbfounded in front of Margaery. "I would never use Tommen like that. He is a sweet boy who deserves more than the treacherous surroundings he was born into."

"Don't think you can fool me, Lady Dimeria." Margaery snarled, taking a step closer to Dimeria. "You're a warrior; your instinct is to survive no matter what situation you're in."

"I don't need Tommen to survive." Dimeria said, straightening her back and standing taller than Margaery. "My trial will prove nothing. I am not a Targaryen." Angry fumes were nearly steaming off of Margaery's skin. "And we're finished here."

Dimeria wasn't surprised that it didn't take much effort to push Margaery out of her way, but she was startled when she felt her long nails dig into her skin as the Tyrell princess latched onto Dimeria's wrist.

"Stay out of my way, Lady Dimeria, or I swear I will-"

Dimeria wrenched her wrist free of Margaery's grasp violently. "You'll do what? Claw my eyes out?"

Margaery's narrowed her eyes, shutting out the sparkling blue they typically radiated. "Stay out of my way, or I swear I will ensure that you never step foot in this city again."

"I'd like to see you try." Dimeria said, her voice dangerously low. Her eyes glanced down at Margaery's hand, still tense from gripping her wrist. "If you ever touch me again, _I swear_ that I will cut your hand off myself."

Without another word, Dimeria left Margaery and the rose gardens behind.

…

Jaime tried to tell himself that it was a good thing that Oberyn volunteered himself to be Tyrion's champion, but he couldn't silence the hatred he had for the Dornish Prince. He hated his bronze skin, his smooth accent, his smug smirk; and Jaime especially hated the way he always stared at Dimeria. Deep down, Jaime had an inkling that people looked at him the same way he looked at Oberyn, but he did his best to keep those thoughts at bay. The brief conversation Jaime had with Dimeria reminded him of what he needed to do: find out what Oberyn was up to. Luckily for Jaime, it didn't take long to find the Dornish Prince.

The throne room was typically empty unless there was some sort of event among the people of court. It didn't matter how many years Jaime spent in the Red Keep, chills would always travel down his spine every time he entered the room and gazed at the hideous iron throne. This particular time, however, he attributed the tingling in his spine to the presence of Oberyn Martell.

"It wasn't that long ago that you were sitting upon those steps and condemning my little brother to his fate." Jaime said, his words drawing Oberyn's attention towards him. "And now you're fighting for his life."

Oberyn was not fazed. "I believe it was your own little brother that attempted to decide his fate with a trial by combat. And besides, someone had to fight for Lord Tyrion since his own golden brother wouldn't do it."

Jaime resisted the urge to draw his sword and kill Oberyn where he stood. "If I had gotten my way, my brother wouldn't even need a trial by combat."

"And yet, here we are." Oberyn said with a smirk. "I'm sure you're thrilled to have me as an ally."

"Not quite the word I would have used." Jaime said through gritted teeth.

Oberyn chuckled and sauntered his way closer to Jaime. "I'm surprised, Ser Jaime." He drawled out. "If you could not defend your dear little brother, why was Lady Dimeria not next in line?"

"Dimeria has her own life to worry about, and so do you, seeing as you're going to be fighting Sandor Clegane."

"Is that friendly advice, Ser Jaime?" Oberyn grinned.

Jaime returned the false smile with his own glittering teeth. "Don't fool yourself, Prince Oberyn. If you weren't fighting for my brother, I would be in the Sept praying for your death right now."

"You don't strike me as a man of the Gods, Ser Jaime."

"And you don't strike me as a man that would fight for someone else's justice." Jaime retorted.

Oberyn's confident smirk fell from his face. "That's where you are wrong."

Jaime narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"In a few day's time, my sister and her children will finally get the justice they deserve." Oberyn said.

An unbelieving scoff sounded from Jaime. "I see. Are those rumors of what the Mountain did to your sister Elia haunting your dreams every night?" He taunted Oberyn. "That's not justice you're seeking, Prince Oberyn; that's vengeance."

"They are one in the same, are they not?"

"Perhaps." Jaime mumbled more to himself than to Oberyn. "So, you're using my little brother's peril as a way to exact your own revenge...you don't expect me to actually be okay with that, do you?"

"I expect you'll be more than okay with it when your little brother walks away a free man." Oberyn said, his smirk returning to his sharp features.

"I hope your confidence pays off, Prince Oberyn. I would hate to see you die...for my brother's sake, of course."

"Oh, of course." Oberyn chuckled darkly. With one last look at the Lannister Lion, Oberyn snorted and strode his way past Jaime. "Have a good day, Ser Jaime."

Jaime was suddenly transported back to when he stabbed the Mad King through the back. As he stared after Oberyn's retreating form, dark hair suddenly became stark white; the golden colors of Dorne turned into the ominous black and red colors of the Targaryens. Echoes of words previously spoken assaulted his mind as his calloused hand began moving down to his sword of its own accord. Hatred and anger was all Jaime could feel as his eyes followed Oberyn, though all Jaime could see was a memory coming back to life.

"Oh, and give Lady Dimeria my warmest greetings." Oberyn abruptly called over his shoulder.

As quickly as if he were jolting awake from a nightmare, Jaime snatched his hand away from his sword. Oberyn's dark hair was back, his form was shrouded in vibrant colors, and Jaime could no longer hear the crazed screams from the Mad King in his head. He immediately began wondering what would have happened had Oberyn not said Dimeria's name, for Jaime was positive that Oberyn's mention of Dimeria was what stopped him from ramming his sword into Oberyn's back.

By the time Jaime was fully aware of his surroundings once more, Oberyn was gone and he was alone in the throne room. Jaime turned to face the iron throne. Images of his younger self sitting upon that throne before Ned Stark had entered flitted into Jaime's head. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He could only process one thought: Thank the gods he had relinquished his seat upon that horrid throne years ago.

…

Night had fallen by the time Jaime and Dimeria were able to see each other once more. Dimeria was in the armoury eyeing several daggers that were on display while her two guards kept an extremely close watch on her; they were more than aware of what she could do with a blade. Luckily for them, Dimeria had no interest in stabbing them-at least not that night. No, Dimeria was actually quite sated for the time being. Her confrontation with Margaery had been a wonderful opportunity to release some pent up energy. For the moment, Dimeria was perfectly content with looking at the daggers that the Kingsguard had collected over the years.

"I hope you're not planning on using one of these weapons to escape, Lady Dimeria." Jaime's voice sounded behind her.

"If I had wanted to escape, we wouldn't be standing here talking right now." Dimeria said with a smirk.

Dimeria could sense the chuckle that Jaime wanted to release and smiled to herself. She ran her index finger down the handle of one of the daggers before turning to face Jaime. She could nearly feel Jaime's eyes piercing her own as he stared at her intently. Dimeria suddenly found herself thanking the gods for the fact that Jaime's back was turned to the two observing guards.

"Can I help you, Ser Jaime?" Dimeria asked trying her best to convey a smile through her eyes.

Jaime must have picked up on it, for he grinned before saying, "You two are relieved of your duties." He called to the soldiers behind him. The guards mumbled their proper goodbyes to their Lord Commander and quickly clanked out of the room.

"Prefer daggers to swords now?" Jaime asked as he joined Dimeria at her side.

"Not necessarily." Dimeria said with a shrug. "I just think it might be a good idea to have a weapon that I can hide...just in case I end up in some sort of trouble."

Jaime laced his fingers through Dimeria's. "As long as I'm here...you won't end up in any sort of trouble."

"I hope you're right." Dimeria said with a sigh.

The doubt in Dimeria's voice caused Jaime's brows to furrow in confusion, but he said nothing of it. He told himself that she was just anxious about everything going on, though he had a hard time truly convincing himself of it. He pushed the fear from his mind grabbed Dimeria's hand.

"Come on." He said.

Jaime led Dimeria out of the armoury in silence. Dimeria assumed that he was taking her back to her own chambers, but quickly discovered otherwise. "Where are we going?"

"My room." Jaime stated as if it were obvious.

Dimeria furrowed her brows. "Why? Those guards are going to come looking for me when the sun comes up and I'm not back in my room."

"Why do you think I sent them away?" Jaime said with a smirk.

"Oh, well aren't you smart." Dimeria frowned at him. "But still, if the guards aren't at my door I can still stay in my room."

"You've been in your room for nearly a week straight. I figured you could use a change of scenery."

Dimeria didn't argue with Jaime's line of thinking because he was absolutely correct. It was sad that spending the night in someone else's room was almost like a mini vacation for her. She sighed thinking about it. Within a few moments they made it back to Jaime's chambers. Dimeria had spent quite a bit of time in King's Landing, but had never been in Jaime's room. It was truly extravagant. Dimeria shouldn't have been surprised; he was the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard and the brother of the queen after all.

"How was your meeting with Margaery Tyrell?" Jaime asked as he strode past Dimeria. Noting how Jaime didn't spare a second glance at his surroundings, Dimeria shook her head. The small things Dimeria appreciated, Jaime seemed to take completely for granted; she supposed that was due to their difference in upbringing.

"Um, it was interesting…" Dimeria said, taking one last stunned look around the room. "She seems to think I'm going to use Tommen for my own protection."

"And what did you tell her?" He asked as he began taking off his Kingsguard armour.

"That I don't need Tommen's protection...and then I threatened her."

"You what?"

Dimeria sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "She threatened me first."

Jaime ran a hand through his hair before continuing to remove his armour. "And you thought it would be a good idea to threaten her because…"

"It wasn't a premeditated plan." Dimeria said as she slowly made her way to Jaime's balcony. "I was angry. She grabbed my wrist with her absurdly long claws and threatened me, so I threatened to cut off her hand."

Left in only a loose shirt and trousers after shedding his armour, Jaime forced himself to keep his cool. "Do you ever think before you speak?"

Dimeria shrugged once more. "It felt like the right thing to say at the time."

"Just because something feels right in the moment does not mean it won't have its consequences."

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind, oh Great and Wise One." Dimeria drawled sarcastically.

Jaime snorted and walked with Dimeria out onto the balcony. A small table with two chairs was set up close to the railing. Dimeria imagined it would be a lovely place to have breakfast every morning. The balcony overlooked the harbor of Blackwater Bay. Quite a few ships were docked for the night, most likely setting sail with the rising of the sun the next day.

"I spoke with Oberyn today." Jaime said as he and Dimeria leaned against the stone balustrade.

Dimeria's muscles automatically tensed. "What did he say?" She asked urgently.

"He's using Tyrion's trial to exact his revenge on the Mountain." Dimeria narrowed her eyes, showing her confusion. "Gregor Clegane murdered his younger sister and her children. This is the perfect opportunity to get his payback without starting an all out war."

"So he's just using Tyrion?"

Jaime nodded. "That's what it looks like."

"I don't like it." Dimeria said with a frustrated sigh. "And I don't trust him. We can't let Tyrion put his life in Oberyn's hands."

"We don't have much of a choice, little warrior." Jaime replied. "Besides, Oberyn may not be trustworthy, but he's smart. His life is on the line as well as Tyrion's, and I guarantee he will do anything to get his revenge."

Dimeria shook her head. "I should be the one fighting for Tyrion." She said angrily.

"We are not discussing this again, Dimeria." Jaime said as he clenched his fists tightly.

"I can do it, Lannister! I would gladly give my life for Tyrion."

"I'd rather you not give your life for anyone at all."

Dimeria ran her hand through her thick tresses. "God's why won't you just let me fight for him?"

"Because I love you, Dimeria!" Jaime said as he grabbed her shoulders forcefully, his mounting ire suddenly coming to the surface. The two of them abandoned the picturesque view before them as they stared into each other's eyes. "Do you not understand what that means?" Jaime asked, his voice under more control. "I would do anything to keep you here...safe with me."

Dimeria stood silent and unmoving as Jaime's eyes bore into hers.

"I love you, Dimeria." Jaime said softly.

A lump had formed in Dimeria's throat, which she quickly forced down before she spoke. "That's the third time you've said that to me."

Jaime took a moment to respond to her statement. "I should have said it so many times before. I should have said it the moment I first realized it."

"And when was that?" Dimeria asked quizzically.

A small, sweet smile found its way onto Jaime's face as he moved his hands down to grip Dimeria's. "That day I threw you into the water after training."

Dimeria laughed quietly as she recalled the momentarily irritating, yet beautiful moment.

"I knew I had feelings for you beforehand," Jaime continued. "But I never realized it was love until that day." The sweet smile then fell away from his face and was suddenly replaced by pain and regret." "I'm sorry, Dimeria. I should've told you so much sooner."

Jaime closed his eyes in an effort to manage the emotional pain he was feeling, and Dimeria unconsciously gripped his hands tighter with affection.

"I love you, Dimeria; and I'm so, so sorry that-" Jaime was prepared to apologize and confess his love for Dimeria for the rest of the night, but he was abruptly cut off by Dimeria as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and gave him a deep, passionate kiss.

Jaime returned the embrace by pulling her as close as possible and snaking his muscled arms around her waist. Dimeria broke the kiss, her fingers knotted through Jaime's hair as they both fought to catch their breath. Dimeria closed her eyes and leaned her head against Jaime's. Was she ready for this? Well, there didn't seem a better time to say than now…

"I love you, too, Jaime."

* * *

_**Leave reviews? Pretty please? :)**_

_**Until next time...**_


End file.
